Patna: Seven more persons, including six minors, were apprehended from Jehanabad for their alleged involvement in the molestation of a minor girl belonging to the Scheduled Castes, five days after a video of the incident went viral on social media.

With this, the total number of accused arrested in the case went up to 11. While four persons, including a minor, were held on Monday, four others, including three minors, were nabbed on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the police picked up three more accused, including two minors and seized two mobile phones, including one, which was used to capture the incident.

Confirming the arrest, inspector-general (Patna zone) Nayyar Hasnain Khan said on Wednesday 11 accused have been arrested so far and raids were underway to nab one more suspect in the case. Majority of the accused were in the age group of 13 to 17 years and belonged to the Bharathua village in Jehanabad.

Khan, who is monitoring the investigation, has directed Jehanabad superintendent of police Manish Kumar to include relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 in the FIR as the victim belonged to the Dalit community.

The girl's statement was recorded in a Jehanabad court under Section 164 of CrPC on Tuesday.

IG Khan has also directed the Jehanabad SP to file the chargesheet against the arrested accused at the earliest and ensure the listing of the case for speedy trial.

"Since the incident comes under the category of heinous crime, I have told the SP concerned to supervise the case himself," Khan said.

An inspector-rank officer Satyendra Kumar Shahi has been appointed the investigating officer of the case. The IG has further asked the SP to get the victim examined by a medical board constituted by the district administration. The victim's family has been provided security as she is the lone witness in the case.

Jehanabad SP Manish Kumar said the seized mobile phones would be sent to the forensic science laboratory in Patna to ascertain whether it was the same cellular phone, which was used to capture the unlawful act. "Only four out of the 12 accused are adults," he said.

The accused, said to be residents of Bharathua village, under the jurisdiction of Kako police station in Jehanabad, have been booked under sections 376 (rape), 511 (punishment for offences punishable with life or other imprisonment) and Section 8 (sexual assault) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Manish said a magistrate and four armed police personnel had been deputed at the victim's house. In addition, two women constables have been provided to the victim for her security.