Girl kidnapped, raped by 9 men in MP; 7 arrested

UMARIA: A 13-year-old girl has been allegedly raped by 9 men on separate occasions after being abducted twice in Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria city earlier this month, a police official said on Sunday.

The girl’s mother lodged a police complaint on January 14 following which 7 of the accused were arrested on Friday. Search is on for 2 other culprits, said the official, conducting a probe.

The girl was lured and kidnapped from a market place here by a person known to her on January 4. She was taken to a secluded spot where the person and 6 others allegedly raped her and later released on January 5, the police official said.

As the accused threatened the girl with dire consequences, she was scared and did not make any complaint, she said. The victim was again kidnapped by 1 of the accused persons on January 11.

She was taken to an isolate place where 5 people, including 3 accused in the previous incident and 2 unidentified truck drivers, allegedly raped her on that day and January 12, the official said.

In the meantime, the girl's family lodged a missing person's complaint with police on January 11. The girl later managed to come home following which her mother lodged a police complaint on January 14 and the victim's statement was recorded.