India: Three held for rape; victim names another eight persons

Hyderabad, Jan 13 (PTI) Three persons have been arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl on multiple occasions over the last four years, the city police said Sunday.

A demonstration was held in the Kamatipura area here Sunday after the girl alleged that apart from the three arrested men, she was sexually exploited by eight others including a `panch' witness.

The police arrested three persons including a relative of the girl on December 31 after she filed a complaint against them.

The relative who was living on the first floor of her house gave her a soft drink spiked with sedatives one day in 2015 and raped her, she said.

Later, he and two of his friends raped her on multiple occasions and also blackmailed her after recording the act, she alleged.

They are now in judicial custody, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Charminar Division) B Anjaiah told PTI.

The girl later alleged that eight more persons, including a man who acts as a `panch' witness (a witness used by police to sign on crime spot inspection reports) had also exploited her sexually.

In view of the fresh allegations and to ensure better probe, a woman police officer of the ACP rank has taken over the case, Anjaiah said.