A 17-year-old girl from Vitla in Dakshina Kannada district was allegedly sexually assaulted by five persons between December 2018 and March this year.
The incident came to light when the girl was admitted to a government hospital on Monday and found to be pregnant. Of the five persons, Krishna Naik, 38, gram panchayat bill collector, Dhanush Naik, 23, autorickshaw driver, and the victim’s 29-year-old relative have been arrested, the police said.
In her complaint, the girl accused her relative, her aunt’s son, of sexually assaulting her at a lodge in Kukke Subrahmanya in December when she had accompanied him to perform a ritual. He allegedly raped her again in a lodge in the same place in March.
In her complaint the girl has also mentioned that she was sexually assaulted by Krishnappa, a resident of her village. The other accused is Puneet.
The accused reportedly threatened her against telling anyone about the assault.
The accused have been charged under Section 376 and 506 of IPC, Section 3(1)(W)(1)(11) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Section 4 of POCSO.