Two minors were raped allegedly by three youngsters, including an auto-rickshaw driver, under the Araku Valley Police Station limits in Visakhapatnam district.
Though the incident took place on Sunday, it came to light when the victims approached the police on Tuesday.
The police said that the girls, both under17 years and first-year students of a private vocational junior college at Araku, had gone to the Sunkarametta weekly market on Sunday for shopping and to meet their friends and relatives.
To return to Araku, the girls boarded a shared auto-rickshaw in which some persons were already travelling.
As the others passengers got down at their destinations en route, the two girls were left alone in the vehicle.
Taking the advantage of the situation, the auto-rickshaw driver allegedly called two of his friends. After they boarded the vehicle, the driver diverted it to an isolated place, where the accused allegedly raped the two girls and fled the spot.
Inspector V. Naidu said a case had been registered.
Sources said the driver, S. Raju, had been taken into custody.