Days after a sexually-assaulted minor girl of Andhra Pradesh was rescued here, a special police team arrested a five-member gang including a Bangladeshi national and two women on charges of abduction, rape and indulging in trafficking.
The team recovered Rs. 10,000 in cash, cell phones and some SIM cards from the accused – K. Karthika Devi alias Asha (25), Siva alias M. Sakthivel (34), R. Prabhu (31), Kavitha (24) and Mohamed Sabikul, aged around 30 years and a citizen of Bangladesh.
The 17-year-old rescued minor girl, a native of Mehboob Nagar in Andhra Pradesh, has been lodged in the Government Protection Home at Khajamalai in the city.
The Cantonment All Women Police station has registered a case under IPC sections including 365 (Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 366 A (Procreation of minor girl) and 376 (rape) besides Sections 4, 6, 8 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 read with 5 of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
The minor girl who was staying in a working women’s hostel in Renga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh in search of a job got in touch with Asha, a native of Papanasam in Thanjavur district, who too was staying in the same hostel, according to police.
Believing Asha’s assurance that she would get her employment, the minor girl went to Salem on May 28 and stayed with the woman.
The same night Asha sent the girl along with three persons in a car, telling her that the trio would get her a job.
According to police, the girl was raped by one of them in the vehicle. She was again subjected to sexual assault at another place before landing Tiruchi on the morning of May 29.
