india

Updated: Jun 24, 2019 08:07 IST

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped for five days by six persons, including three minors, after being locked up in a room in Ongole town of Andhra Pradesh, police said Sunday.

All the accused have been apprehended from different parts of the state and police said they are investigating the case.

The incident stirred up a row over safety of women in the state with home minister M Sucharita promising stern action.

Prakasam District Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal told mediapersons that one of the accused befriended the girl when she was waiting for her friend at the RTC bus station in Ongole on June 17. She was then taken to his room where he and five of his friends allegedly raped her for five days.

The girl, who belonged to the Guntur district, escaped and reached the bus station on Saturday evening when an on-duty home-guard Venkateswarlu and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Babu Rao spotted and rescued her, the police official said.

She was then admitted to the government hospital for treatment and her condition was said to be stable.

Based on the girl’s complaint, police launched a manhunt for the accused and nabbed them from different places.

Condemning the incident, Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang said safety and security of women and children and prevention of crime against them would be given high priority.

A case under different sections of Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and IPC was registered against the accused. “This is a heinous crime and we will take deterrent steps to ensure such incidents did not recur,” said the home minister.