After the girl's statement, the police have registered a case under POCSO | Photo Credit: Representative Image

Key Highlights The 15-year-old victim was studying in a government-aided school and was continuously gang-raped by 10 men since 2016. The victim also became friends with three other boys who also raped her.

Coimbatore: In a shameful incident, a class 9 girl student was gang-raped and impregnated by ten persons including four students in Tamil Nadu. Police have now arrested all the seven accused.

The 15-year-old victim was studying in a government-aided school and was continuously gang-raped by 10 men since 2016.

According to a report in Times of India, the girl reportedly became friends with a student and later fell in love with him. The girl was then raped repeatedly by her friend.

The report further suggests that the girl later became friends with three other boys who also raped her.

After this, six other boys from her neighbourhood joined the accused in sexually assaulting the girl, whose parents are construction labourers.

All this while, the girl did not reveal the abuse to her parents. When the parents came to know about her pregnancy, they took her to a private hospital in Neelambur for abortion.

However, the hospital authorities refused to abort the foetus and told them to go to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital where she was admitted. But the girl went missing from the hospital on Saturday.

The hospital later informed the police who traced the girl by the evening. During questioning, the 15-year-old informed police that she was repeatedly raped by 10 persons including four students.

After the girl's statement, the police have registered a case under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and arrested the seven accused. The accused students were sent to a juvenile home at Lakshmi Mills junction, while three other boys were lodged at sub-jail in Avinashi.

Meanwhile, police have launched a manhunt to nab three other accused.