Three schoolboys booked for raping minor girl in Coimbatore; two arrested

COIMBATORE: Three minor boys were booked on Saturday for sexually assaulting a Class VII girl in Coimbatore. Two among them were produced before juvenile court. Officials are on the lookout for the third boy who is absconding.
According to police, Lakshmi (name changed), 11, stayed in a rented house near Sundarapuram with her father and aunt. Her mother had passed away a few years ago. Lakshmi often visited her landlord’s house on the ground floor to watch television. Both her father and aunt were working.
The landlord’s son, Deepak (name changed), 16, was studying in Class X in a private school. As his parents too were working, they often left Deepak alone at home and were off to work. Deepak’s father used to give him a smartphone to attend his online classes. Deepak’s friend, Suresh (name changed), 17, visited him often. Suresh was a Class XI student.
On May 20, Lakshmi visited her landlord’s house, as usual, to watch television. On entering the house, she found the two boys watching obscene videos on the smartphone. The duo forced the girl to watch the video. She immediately left the place and went to her home.
Later, the boys followed her, barged into her house on the first floor and raped her multiple times. They called another friend of theirs, Vikram (name changed), who is also a school student. The trio forced the girl to watch obscene videos on their phones and visited her house to sexually assault her for the next one week.
The boys also threatened Lakshmi to not reveal the incident to anyone.
A few days ago, Lakshmi developed severe stomach ache and she was taken to a government hospital. Doctors examined and inquired her. She revealed the incident to the doctors, who alerted all-woman police station (East) inspector Amutha.
After the girl filed a complaint, a case was registered against the three minor boys under sections 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act.
The police picked up Deepak and Suresh and produced them before a juvenile justice board on Saturday night. They were lodged at a home for children in conflict with the law.
Police have launched a search for Vikram as he is still absconding. Further investigations were on.