The Singanallur police here have arrested seven persons, including four minor boys, on charges of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. The police were on the hunt for three more persons.
According to police, 10 persons allegedly assaulted the minor girl sexually on various occasions since 2016. The class IX girl was first assaulted by her friend, a minor boy from her school, in 2016. Three others boys from the school befriended the girl later and allegedly assaulted her.
According to the police, six neighbours of the girl also assaulted her sexually on various occasions and she did not disclose it to her parents, both construction workers.
The sexual assaults came to light three days ago when the parents found that the girl was pregnant. They took her to a private hospital, allegedly with a request to terminate the pregnancy. The hospital refused to do the procedure and asked the parents to take the girl to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Though the girl was admitted to CMCH, she went missing from the ward on Saturday. The police traced the girl the same night and she told the police that 10 persons, including the minors, sexually assaulted her on various occasions from 2016.
Police registered a case based on here statement and arrested seven persons, including four minors, under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
While three persons were remanded in judicial custody at Avinashi sub-jail, the four minors were produced before the juvenile justice board which sent them to the juvenile observation home in the city.