Two bus drivers and a conductor were arrested for allegedly gang-raping the 14-year-old girl.
Highlights
- 2 drivers, a conductor allegedly rape teen near Salem in Tamil Nadu
- Locals in the village heard the cries of the girl and alerted the police
- Police said the three were arrested and were being questioned
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in a private bus by two drivers and a conductor in Tamil Nadu's Salem district, about 350 kilometres from state capital Chennai, on Monday. The three accused in the case, a stark reminder of the 2012 Nirbahaya gang-rape case in Delhi, have been arrested.
Police says the girl, who had finished Class IX this year, ran away from home in Salem and boarded the bus on Monday afternoon. She stayed on the bus for the next seven hours as it made several trips from Salem to Omalur about 20 kilometres away and back.
After the last trip, the crew parked the bus in an isolated area about seven kilometres away from Omalur and allegedly sexually assaulted the teenager one after the other, police said.
An officer told NDTV, "The girl says the men threatened her to not get off the bus. She escaped and screamed when the third man assaulted her sexually. Local people rescued her and handed over the men."
The parents of the girl are daily wage labourers in Salem. Police say the girl, a Dalit, had run away from home twice earlier as well.
Sources say the girl is being counselled and looked after at a children's home. It's not clear whether she underwent any medical examination so far. Senior officers couldn't be reached for more information.
A case has been registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act besides invoking provisions of kidnap, rape, intimidation and attempt to rape.