Chhattisgarh: Three including minor arrested for gang raping 13-yr-old who recently delivered baby; one absconding

Three accused including a minor boy have been arrested in connection for gangraping minor teen nine months later in Chhattisgarh's Balko.

Korba:Chhattisgarh Police arrested three suspects including a minor boy for gangraping a 13-year-old girl after the victim recently delivered a baby in Chhattisgarh's Balko police station area. Two suspects have been remanded to Judicial Custody in the district jail while the minor has been admitted to the juvenile home, police said on Sunday.

The prime suspect, the police said, is still absconding. Nine months ago, the suspects forcefully took the the 13-year-old victim girl to a secluded location where they gangraped her. They threatened to kill her if she revealed her being gangraped. Scared, the girl kept it to herself. However, the parents found out the girl was pregnant a few months later. The girl gave birth to a child and both are admitted to the Korba Medical College Hospital, police said.

Balko Taluk Inspector Manish Nagar said, "the gang rape happened 9 months ago. The victim's father came 2 days ago and filed a complaint, after which we have arrested three accused of gang rape. One is still absconding. We are searching for him and will soon arrest him."

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, as many as 53,874 cases registered in 2021 alone under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. The data said a total of 1,49,404 cases relating to crime against children were registered in 2021. In 2020, 1,28,531 cases were registered and indicates a rise of 16.2 per cent.

It also suggests that every third crime against a child was registered under the POCSO Act. As regards to cases registered under Sections 4 and 6 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault and aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act, a total of 33,348 incidents were reported in 2021. Of this, victims are 33,036(girls) and 312 (boys).