Alert Ramamurthynagar residents rescued a minor girl from being molested by a gang of five juveniles, who were dragging her into a deserted graveyard in the area.
According to the police, the girl – a Class VII student – was walking to a relative’s house on Thursday evening when a boy from her neighbourhood offered to drop her there. However, he took her to an isolated place and with the help of four of his friends, dragged her into a graveyard and tried to sexually assault her. The attackers were all between 12 and 14 years of age, the police said.
The girl began shouting for help, prompting a couple, who were passing by, to investigate. When they saw the boys attacking the girl, they rushed in to help. Sensing trouble, the accused fled. Residents later escorted the girl back to her parents.
Based on the complaint, the police tracked down the juveniles and arrested them on Friday morning. They will be produced before the Child Welfare Committee as per procedure, a senior police official said.
Inquiries revealed that one of the accused who lived in the same neighbourhood had been stalking the girl and harassing her. On Thursday, when he saw her walking alone, he seized the opportunity to molest her, the police said.
A medical examination revealed that the girl was physically assaulted.