In a disturbing incident, eleven men have been apprehended in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, for their alleged involvement in the repeated sexual assault of a minor girl from Odisha. The perpetrators, including a migrant laborer from Jharkhand, exploited the pretext of celebrating the girl's birthday on December 17, 2023. The initial assault occurred in a room where the girl was taken by the Jharkhand laborer and his friend.
Unable to cope with the mental trauma inflicted upon her, the survivor attempted to end her life at R K Beach in Visakhapatnam. However, a local man, known for taking photographs of tourists, engaged her in conversation and subsequently assaulted her in a lodge. Later, in another room, eight to nine friends of the photographer reportedly raped her.
Escaping from the clutches of her assailants, the girl left the city. Her parents, filing a missing complaint, led to her discovery in Odisha, and she was brought back to Visakhapatnam on December 25. Investigations revealed that the heinous acts occurred on December 20, 21, and 22, with authorities probing the possibility of assaults on December 18 and 19 as well.
The police have modified the case from a missing person report to a rape case under IPC Section 376, additionally invoking the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
