Ranchi, Sept. 11: A 14-year-old tribal girl, who was enjoying the Karma festival last night, was picked up and raped by her brother’s four friends at Dhobi Ghat in Sector IV of the HEC Township under the Jagannathpur police station.

The police arrested three of the four accused and forwarded them to Birsa Munda Central jail this morning. They were identified as Bittu Baraik, Alwis Minz and Anil Munda. Their partner, Situ Kacchap, is still absconding.

The officer-in-charge of the Jagannathpur police station, Kailash Prasad Yadav, supported the fact and said the matter came before him last night around 12.30am and he immediately arrested the culprits from their residences in the dam area.

Sources said Bittu called the girl from the Akhara, a religious land where tribal boys and girls were dancing, and then took her to an isolated place on the pretext of sharing a secret with her.

When they were alone, Bittu dragged her under a culvert near the Akhara, where three others were waiting. All the four raped her one by one, from 7pm to 11pm, threatening her of dire consequences if she raised an alarm.

Sources said when the girl didn’t return home her mother got worried and began looking for her around the Akhara.

When her mother reached near the culvert, all the four youths fled. The matter was then communicated to local residents and subsequently the police.

The girl belongs to a poor family. Her father works as a labourer in Bangalore while her mother works as a maid. She has three brothers and a sister.

Police sources said such incidents often take place during the Karma festival and thus proper security has been made to foil any such attempts around the Akhara and other places in the city.

Senior superintendent of police M.S. Bhatia has also taken a serious note to the incident and given proper instructions to his officials.

“Any one attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman will be dealt with strictly and proper instructions have been given for the same during the tribal festival, too,” Bhatia said.