Delhi: 3 school girls raped; accused planned to sell them after sexual assault

Three schoolgirls were allegedly kidnapped and subjected to sexual abuse in the nation's capital by a man who intended to sell them in Chandigarh, according to police. All three of the girls were able to flee, however. The girls were abducted on August 6 from the Defence Colony neighbourhood in South Delhi and transported to Rohini, where they are said to have been raped.

The police further stated that four people, including two women, had been detained in relation to the incident. Bangali Lal Sharma (45), Sandeep alias Shanky (36), Ruksana (40), and Jyoti (40) were named as the accused (19).

The fifth suspect, Prakash alias Sanjay alias Minto, is, however, missing. According to a senior police official, the father of one of the girls complained to the Defence Colony police station on August 6 about how his daughter traveled to school in Andrews Ganj, Delhi, at 7.30 a.m. by school van.

The victim's father was informed by the school van driver at 2:00 p.m. that his daughter did not ride in the van to school. The authorities learned that in addition to this girl, two other girls from the same school had also been reported missing. A case under section 363 of the IPC was recorded at the police station at Defence Colony based on the victim's father's statement, and an investigation was launched.

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A team of top police officers was prepared, and they questioned the girls' classmates, the school's employees, and their family. The police squad also looked at the local area's CCTV footage.

"Meanwhile, information about the girls was received about their movement in Karol Bagh area. After making sincere efforts, they were traced from Karol Bagh area and were medically examined. The victims told the police that they were sexually assaulted," a police official said.

The victims informed the police that they were taken to a home in the Rohini neighbourhood by the accused, where they were sexually assaulted. A police unit went right away to the Rohini neighbourhood and found the residence where the kidnapped girls had been hidden.

"One Bangali Lal Sharma was found there and on enquiry, it was learnt that he used to run a syndicate of selling the girls along with a woman named Ruksana. As per the statement given by the girls, Sharma was the person, who along with the absconding accused Prakash alias Sanjay alias Minto had taken them to Rohini. The girls were offered drinks laced with sedatives. Minto sexually assaulted the three girls," the police said.

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The victims were able to flee when Minto attempted to transport them to Chandigarh in order to sell them, according to the police. The victims escaped from there and took an autorickshaw to the Karol Bagh neighbourhood of Delhi. Sharma and the two women, Ruksana and Jyoti, were captured during the raid on the residence of the accused Minto.

The IPC sections 328, 366A, 370, 376, 506, 120B, and 34 along with six POSCO Acts have been added to the FIR, according to the police. The alleged act of rape allegedly occurred in the presence of both accused ladies.

Jyoti and Ruksana were both detained for 14 days in judicial detention after being taken into custody. Sharma and Shanky, the accused who allegedly assisted in moving girls from one location to another, were also taken into custody.

(With inputs from IANS)