Pathanamthitta: Five people were arrested on charges of gang rape of a minor girl at Elavumthitta here on Friday. Elavumthitta police probing the case have also slapped charges of sexual abuse on a sixth accused, who is currently serving a sentence in Kottarakkara jail after being convicted in another POCSO case.

The case came to light when the survivor, who is now 18, revealed her ordeal during a counselling session at her educational institution. Following this disclosure, a complaint was lodged with the childline. The Sub-Inspector of the Women’s Cell at Elavumthitta recorded her statement and registered two FIRs on Thursday, Inspector Vinod Krishnan told Onmanorama.  

The survivor was subjected to sexual assault by the accused when she was 15 years old. The accused have been slapped with charges under Section 3(2)(v) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, addressing offences against SC/ST members; multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), such as 376(2) (aggravated rape), 376(3) (rape of a minor under 16), 376(n) (repeated rape), 376(d) (gang rape), and 354A (sexual harassment); provisions of the POCSO Act, including Sections 3(a), 5(g) (aggravated gang assault on a child), 11, and 12 (sexual harassment of a child); and Sections 66E (violation of privacy) and 67B (transmitting explicit material depicting minors) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

The police said that more arrests are likely in the case. The survivor's statements have also been recorded by Pathanamthitta police, where similar complaints have been filed. The two FIRs lodged in Elavumthitta will be investigated separately by Pathanamthitta DySP Nandakumar and Inspector Vinod Krishnan.