Amid a sharp surge in the number of crimes against women in Maharashtra, a disturbing incident in which a 16-year-old girl from a backward class community in Solapur district was allegedly raped by 10 persons over six months came to light on Wednesday.
After the victim narrated her ordeal of serial rape to the police on Tuesday, the authorities at the Vijapur Naka police station in Solapur immediately arrested five of the accused, while teams are searching for the other miscreants — a majority of whom are autorickshaw drivers.
An FIR case under IPC Section 376-D (gangrape) and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual offences Act (POCSO) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had been lodged against all of them, said ACP Priti Tipre.
The victim’s father died a while ago and she was living with her mother, said the police.
ACP Tipre said the shocking incident came to light after some locals saw the girl crying outside a temple on Tuesday and alerted the police.
“While the victim, who was extremely disturbed, hesitated to divulge any information, she revealed her painful tale after the police took her into confidence. According to her, she had been molested by a group of rickshaw drivers since June last year,” said another police official.
The girl knew some of the accused who forcefully took her to various places and raped her, the official said.