A 14-year-old girl was taken to a flat, on the southern fringes of the city, by a youth known to her and allegedly gang-raped on Tuesday, police said. The girl’s family lodged a police complaint after she returned home from the flat.
Five men, including a 19-year-old, have been arrested based on the complaint. “According to the complaint, the victim was taken to a flat by a youth known to her. She was offered a soft drink laced with a sedative. Then, she was raped by a 42-year-old man,” said an officer of the south-west division of the city police.
“The minor has mentioned in her statement that one person had sexually assaulted her. According to the law, the fact that four others were present in the room and they did not try to save her or raise any alarm, makes them equally complicit in the crime. Hence, the section on gang rape has been pressed, along with other charges.”
A case has been initiated under IPC sections on kidnapping, wrongful restraint and gang rape, and under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act. If convicted, the accused could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The police identified the prime accused as Arup Sengupta, 42, who is known as Putu in the neighbourhood. He has several criminal cases against him, officers said. The other accused are Abhisekh Singh, 20, Sanjay Patra, 19, Saheb Adhikary, 22, and Rahul Singh, 22.
“All five were arrested from a building — 91/1 Motilal Gupta Road — in Haridevpur on Wednesday afternoon. They are unemployed and residents of Haridevpur,” an officer said.
The accused will be produced in court on Thursday. A senior officer said the girl had undergone a medical examination.
“The next step will be to seek permission from the court to record her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC,” the officer said.
This is not the first time that a girl or a woman has allegedly been wronged by menshe knew and trusted. In June, a woman attending an office party was allegedly raped in a hotel by men sheknew. Two men were arrested.
Young girls are more vulnerable to such crimes.
“Many girls get trafficked in this way. Those who are lucky return home. It is extremely important for the guardians to keep track of where their children are going and whom they are mixing with,” said an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police who is not involved in investigating the complaint lodged by the 19-year-old’s family.
