india

Updated: Sep 03, 2019 22:22 IST

A 14-year-old mentally unsound girl who was allegedly raped for seven months by a four-member gang which includes a DMK functionary in Trichy is now pregnant, the Tamil Nadu police said.

The four men were arrested between August 29 and 31 following a complaint on August 28 but the crime to light only on Tuesday after the All Women Police started grilling the teenager’s relatives.

Police said the girl is now 20 weeks pregnant and a team of Trichy Government Hospital doctors are monitoring her condition with the assistance of District Children Protection Unit.

“The accused are P Selvaraj (49), T Selvaraj(51), Muthu(57), and Ramaraj (45). P Selvaraj had served as Peramangalam Village Panchayat President, twice. He is also the DMK’s Trichy district farmer’s wing’s deputy organizer. T Selvaraj was running a tea shop, and Muthu had worked as milk vendor. Ramaraj is working as an assistant at a fuel station,” said an inquiry officer with the Jeeyapuram Police Station, who did not want to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to media.

The teenager lives with her mother who is a daily wage labourer, and grandfather. Her father is no more.

“As her mother goes to work daily, the minor girl was under the care of her grandfather. The accused who are known to her grandfather, have raped her for nearly seven months. Her plight came to light only after her mother learnt of her daughter’s pregnancy,” said the police officer.

The officer said when the victim was admitted in Trichy General Hospital, the doctors confirmed that the teenager was 20 weeks pregnant.

“After confirming her pregnancy, the doctors directed the case to police and Trichy district child protection unit. During the inquiry, the girl narrated the horror which she went through for nearly seven months,” the officer said.

P Vijayalakshmi, Inspector of Police, All Women Police Station, Jeeyapuram Trichy, said the accused were arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and a court had sent them to police custody for further investigations.

“Since the case involves a minor girl, we cannot disclose more details. We have booked cases against the four accused, and investigation is ongoing,” Vijayalakshmi said.

M Geetha, District Children Protection Officer, Trichy said they were counseling the survivor. “We have been counseling the survivor. The doctors are providing required medical care to the girl. She is physically well now. We are working with the police and doctors in this regard,” she said.

Police have also started questioning the teenager’s relatives and neighbours s part of the investigation. R Lalvena, Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Children Rights said the state government would take all steps to protect her.

Last year, a similar crime shook Chennai. A 17-member-gang including watchman, lift operator, and several elderly people of an apartment block had raped an 11-year-old hearing-impaired girl. The trial is that case is currently undergoing at a Mahila Court in Chennai.