Gurugram: 5 kids sexually assaulted, tortured on theft suspicion

Investigators privy to the details of the case said that all the victims were aged between 11 to 14 years

Five children were allegedly held in captivity for 18 hours, sexually assaulted and tortured, with petrol poured over them, by a contractor and his four workers at an under-construction building in Gurugram on the suspicion of theft, police said on Wednesday, adding that two of the suspects had been arrested while the other three were on the run.

The five boys had entered the building on Monday morning when they were caught by the accused, police said.

ggm horror 0123

Investigators privy to the details of the case said that all the victims were aged between 11 to 14 years and were taken hostage on Monday morning in the upscale locality of DLF Phase 3 and were released by night after the three of the mothers managed to track them down and begged the suspects to free them for nearly five hours.

The five boys had entered the building on Monday morning when they were caught by the accused, police said. They added that matter came to light when the mother of a 12-year-old victim reached the Nathupur police post and submitted a complaint on Tuesday.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the five suspects under section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children of Sexual Offences Act and sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 3(5) (common intention) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation by threatening to cause death or grievous hurt) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at DLF Phase-III police station on Tuesday night.

Sandeep Turan, public relations officer of Gurugram police, said two suspects, aged 35 and 26, were arrested for physically and sexually assaulting the children. “At least three more suspects involved in the incident were still on the run. Teams have been formed to arrest them,” he said.

Police said one of the arrested men was the contractor overseeing the under-construction building, which was to be used as a PG, while the others were employed by him as workers at the site.

According to the FIR, accessed by HT, the mother has alleged that she began a search for her son when he didn’t returned home around 6pm Monday night. “I met two more women whose sons were also missing from our locality. We got to know that some children were kept hostage in a building in U-block on suspicion of theft.”

At the building, the found that five minor boys, including their three sons, were being held hostage in one of the rooms. The suspects allegedly made the three women sit with their sons, hurling abuses at all of them.

“They set my son and other boys free after several hours of begging,” she said.

She alleged that her son later disclosed the extent of the assault, including that they forced to strip, sexually assaulted, and had petrol poured over them.Police said none of the five victims required hospitalisation. All the boys were medically examined and were sent home with their parents at around 1 am on Wednesday, officers added.

Turan said that the minors were taken hostage on allegations that they were attempting to steal materials, such as rebars and other items from the under-construction building. “However, nothing concrete surfaced that any such attempts were made by the victims.”

The PRO said that the medical examination of the victims was carried out on Wednesday, adding that “the district child welfare committee are in touch with them for counselling and getting their statement recorded before judicial magistrate.”