5 held for raping minor

Five out of six violators involved in the gangrape of a 16-yearold girl in Rayavaram village, Jagdevpur mandal were arrested by the Gajwel police on Sunday.

According to the police, the main accused Shivarathri Venkat befriended the victim through the phone and introduced himself to her as Venkat. During their conversations, he promised to marry her, and after a month of chatting on the phone, the accused visited the victim at her place in Rayavaram village late at night and took her to Kuncherukal’s graveyard in Gajwel on his two-wheeler. Once there, the accused, along with three of his

ON TWO occasions, the accused went to the girl’s house, threatened the girl with dire consequences took her to an isolated place to rape her.

friends, sexually the girl.

Around 11.00 pm on the following Wednesday, the accused once again showed up at her residence and asked her to go with them. When she refused, they threatened her of dire consequences. Afraid, the victim gave in. They then took her near Gopalpur T-road on the outskirts of Thimmapur and gangraped her again.

The accused arrived at the victim’s residence

assaulted once again on the following Wednesday, and this time, her relatives noticed and tried to stop them but to no avail. They took the girl to Kuncherukal’s graveyard, molested her and then dropped her off at the Pragnapur bus stop on Thursday and fled.

Following receipt of the complaint, the Jagdevpur police registered a case under sections 376 (D), 366 (A), and 386 of the IPC, and under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and the SC/ST Atrocities Act. On Sunday, they nabbed five accused namely Shivarathri Venkat, Shivaratri Anjaneyulu, A. Parashu Ramulu, A. Rajini Kanth, and Mohammed Raheem Pasha, while the sixth accused named Sriramulu is absconding.

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