Six minor girls, returning from a village fair, were allegedly molested by five people in Khunti village of Jharkhand late on Wednesday, police said on Thursday, adding that all five accused, including a minor, have been nabbed.
The police said that cases under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been lodged against them.
Ashutosh Sekhar, Khunti superintendent of police, said it was the case of molestation, not rape.
“The victims told police that they were molested. We also interrogated the accused and they admitted to doing the same thing,” said Shekar.
He, however, said a board has been constituted for medical examination of the girls. All six girls were also produced before the child welfare committee (CWC).
The incident took place on Wednesday around 7.30 pm when six girls, in the age group from 12 to 15 and students of classes 5 to 8, were returning from a Makar Santranti fair.
They were intercepted by the youth, who were on two bikes and one scooty. They invited the girls to a sweet shop. The girls knew one youth as he studies in the same school. The boys offered them a lift to their village, but on the way, took them to Hatudami village, around six kilometres away from the village of the girls, police said.
{{/usCountry}}They were intercepted by the youth, who were on two bikes and one scooty. They invited the girls to a sweet shop. The girls knew one youth as he studies in the same school. The boys offered them a lift to their village, but on the way, took them to Hatudami village, around six kilometres away from the village of the girls, police said.
{{/usCountry}}Ashish Mahli, the subdivisional police officer (SDPO) of Khunti, said two girls jumped from the bikes and received minor injuries, and they managed to run to their village. They narrated the story to the villagers who then went to Hatudami village to rescue the remaining four girls.
Mahli said residents of both the villages rescued the girls and called police on Thursday morning.
“We also conducted a raid and nabbed all five, including a minor. A team of forensic science laboratory and crime investigation department went to the spot for inspection,” he said.
Mahli said further detailed could be revealed on Friday after reports from the medical board and FSL team come. The police also recovered a motorbike and a scooty from the crime scene. All six girls are school students and also hockey players.