11-year-old rape: accused detained under Goondas Act

All 17 men aged between 23 to 67, accused of raping an 11-year-old girl with hearing disorder for six months and currently in Puzhal prison, have been detained under the stringent Goondas Act.

Invoking of The Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Forest Offenders, Sand Offenders, Slum-Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982, commonly known as the Goondas Act, makes it difficult for the accused to move for bail for the next one year.

They can get a bail only if the High Court quashes the detention. The rape of the 11-year-old, who had the enormous courage to speak out against the injustice and identify her tormentors, had sent shock waves across the country for the brutality inflicted on the minor by 17 men, including lift operators and security guards.

In a statement on Thursday, the Chennai Police said all the 17 men, including the main accused S Ravikumar who allegedly sexually assaulted the girl in an elevator, have been detained under the Goondas Act.

The accused were booked under Section 5 of POCSO Act (Aggravated penetrative sexual assault), Section 10 of POCSO Act (Aggravated sexual assault), Section 12 of POCSO Act (Sexual harassment of a child), Section 376 DB of IPC (Gang-rape of minor girl), Section 328 of IPC (Causing hurt by intoxicating a person), Section 307 of IPC (Attempt to murder), Section 341 of IPC (Wrongful restraint) and Section 376 AB of IPC (Raping girl below 12 years of age).

“I am happy that all 17 accused in the gang rape case of an 11-year-old child have now, thanks to Tamil Nadu Police, been served their order in Puzhal Prison under Goondas Act by the Court. The Act has been put on them to ensure they do not get bail and terrorize any more children, tamper with evidence and witnesses and also remain in prison,” transgender activist Apsara Reddy, who assisted the distraught family in their quest for justice, said.

The incident came to light in July after the minor girl, who was staying with her family in Ayanavaram in Chennai, narrated her harrowing experience to her elder sister, who had come home during holidays.

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 seven girl has told the investigators that the men, who sexually assaulted her, had threatened to release video of her with them if she spoke about their act out in the open.

The arrested are S Ravikumar (66), S Murugesu (54), S Paramasivam (60)
A Umapathy (42), R Babu (36), N Abishek (23), J Raja (32), A Jayaraman (26)
B Erald Bross (58), A Jayaganesh (23), E Surya (23), M Suresh (32), P Gunasekaran (55)
A Rajasekar (40), R Sugumaran (60), B Deenadayalan (50) and R Palani (40).