The police say the girl was blackmailed with videos of the assault.

Highlights The girl was allegedly raped at a Chennai apartment building

Building's security guard, liftman and water supplier among the arrested

The girl was allegedly sedated, given spiked soft drinks

An 11-year-old girl was raped over several weeks at an apartment complex in Chennai, allegedly by 17 men including security guards, electricians and plumbers. The men, arrested today, were thrashed by lawyers and others as they were taken to court, in a reflection of spiraling anger and shock at the child's assault.



Lawyers have refused to represent the rape-accused in court.

The girl, who is hearing-impaired and lives with her parents in the largely unoccupied 300-apartment complex, was allegedly sedated and given spiked soft drinks by the attackers. The police say she was also blackmailed with videos of the assault.



A 66-year-old lift operator was the first to attack the girl after she returned from school and was cycling around the complex, the police said. He allegedly invited other men, who filmed each other raping the child.



The accused men allegedly took the girl to various places in the complex, including the basement, terrace, gym and public restrooms.

The police say the 11-year-old girl was also blackmailed.

The rapes were revealed when the girl confided in her older sister, who in turn told their parents. The family lodged a police complaint on Sunday.



This is the latest of child rapes reported across the country this year. In January, an eight-year-old girl was kidnapped, drugged and gang-raped for days in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir before being killed.



This led to the introduction of the death sentence for the rape girls under the age of 12.



Earlier this month, a 99-year-old retired school principal was arrested in Chennai for allegedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl