A 16-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped inside an abandoned factory in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, police said on Saturday, with two persons arrested and charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The incident took place on Thursday evening when the minor entered the closed Hindmotor factory premises along with a friend, a senior police officer said.
“It is alleged that the accused, along with their associates, sexually assaulted the minor inside the premises,” the officer said.
Police said the statements of the arrested accused were being recorded and the investigation was continuing on multiple fronts.
“Statements of the arrested accused are being recorded, and the case is being investigated from all angles,” the officer said, adding that further investigation was underway.
One of the arrested men has been identified as Dipankar Adhikari, also known as Sonai, who is reportedly a Trinamool Congress youth leader in the locality, the officer said.
Police said appropriate sections of the POCSO Act have been slapped in the case.
The other person arrested is the girl's alleged boyfriend, who is also a minor, the officer said.
"We are looking for two more associates of the accused. They are on the run, and search operations are underway to trace them. A Test Identification (TI) parade will be conducted on Saturday as part of the investigation," the officer told PTI.