NEW DELHI: A 14-year-old girl was pulled into a vehicle a few metres from her house while she was on her way to school on Thursday morning and allegedly raped by six men in Dichaon village area of southwest Delhi.

The men took the girl to a deserted area, parked the car on the roadside and forced themselves on her, police said. The incident was witnessed by a passerby who informed a cop, ASI Om Prakash, at the next traffic signal. The cop immediately informed policemen at Mundka police station, who traced the vehicle and arrested the five suspects.

The accused have been identified as Rahul (19), Sooraj (19), Sandeep (21), Ramesh (27), Narender alias Chanchal (20) and Aman (23). Police said the survivor knew Rahul as he is her neighbour, but doesn't know the other four. The incident took place between 8am and 11am in a Tata Sumo hired by a private company. Sandeep was the driver.

"Around 7.30am, when the girl left her for school, Rahul stopped the vehicle and asked her to get in. When she started to walk away, the other five got down, dragged her inside and drove away. They kept driving for an hour before parking on a secluded stretch in Dichaon village. The passerby saw the girl screaming for help around 12.30pm after which he informed the traffic policeman," said Pushpendra Kumar, DCP (west).

"The police team reached the spot and nabbed the accused just when they were about to leave the area. However, Aman had fled before the police arrived. The survivor's family was informed and she was sent for medical examination, which confirmed rape," the senior officer added.

A case under relevant IPC sections and POCSO Act has been registered against the accused at Ranhola police station.

During counselling, the survivor told police that the men raped her in turns. Two stood outside the vehicle to keep a vigil. The men also beat her up when she pleaded to let her go. They threatened to kill her younger brother and her if she approached the police.

Her counsellor, Magdleen Marin said that the survivor was in a very frightened state and will need regular counselling sessions to bring her out of the trauma.

The survivor's father, a driver, said that he doesn't know any of the accused. "Letting my daughter go to school alone is something I will regret the rest of my life. My dreams today stand shattered," said the 34-year-old man.

