12-year-old girl raped by 22 for seven months

A 12-year-old girl with a hearing disorder was allegedly raped by at least 22 men, mostly security guards and lift operators, for nearly seven months after sedating her with injections and drug-laced soft drinks.

Seventeen men, who are in the age group of 23 to 67, have been arrested by the police, while a manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining five, who are absconding. The arrested have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and all 17 have been remanded in judicial custody till July 31.

The incident that sent shock waves across Tamil Nadu came to light on Sunday when the minor girl narrated her harrowing experience to her elder sister who had come home from New Delhi on a holiday. The family consists of father, mother and two girl children.

The girl was staying with her family in an apartment complex in Ayanavaram in the heart of the city. Sources in the police department told DH that since most of the 300 apartments in the complex were lying vacant, the perpetrators took advantage of the situation and took turns to sexually assault the minor.

A medical examination of the girl at the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital confirmed she was sexually assaulted. Syringes, bottles and other materials found in the apartment complex have been sent for tests.

Most of the perpetrators are security guards, plumbers, lift operators and those who supply packaged drinking water to residents in the apartment complex. The Class VII girl told the investigators that the men had threatened to release videos of her with them if she exposed them.

"Sixty-seven-year-old Ravi, who operates the elevator in the complex, was the first to sexually assault the girl. He later invited his friends to rape the minor. The girl was sedated with injections, drug-laced drinks and other methods every time she was sexually assaulted,” a senior police officer said.

Police said Ravi would lead the minor girl to some secluded place within the complex soon after she alighted from the school bus in the evenings. They said the mother was under the impression that the minor was playing with her friends in the complex and never questioned her on why she came late from school.

Most of the arrested were working with FOCUS, a security firm and UK Facility Services, that were given contracts for maintenance of the building.

Accused thrashed inside court complex

The 17 men, accused of sexually assaulting the 12-year-old girl, were attacked by a group of lawyers inside the Mahila Court premises in Chennai on Tuesday.

The incident took place around 3 pm when the men were brought from the second floor of the court premises to the ground floor to be taken to Puzhal Central Prison. When the accused were walking down the stairs, a group of lawyers clad in black coats began assaulting them.

Videos of the incident went viral on social media. The lawyers beat them up, demanding that they be sent to gallows without any trial. Though people were not allowed inside the court complex, lawyers managed to enter the premises.

G Mohanakrishnan of the Madras High Court Advocates' Association said a decision has to be taken that no advocate should represent the accused in the case. "No lawyer should come forward to represent these men. If someone decides to represent them, they will be expelled from the association," he said.