The Katara Hills police have registered a case against two individuals under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Information Technology (IT) Act for the gang-rape of a mentally challenged 16-year-old girl. The unconscionable crime came to light after the perpetrators filmed the assault and subsequently circulated the video. Police officials confirmed that one minor suspect has been detained, while a co-ordinated search is underway to apprehend his fleeing accomplice. The victim, a mentally challenged teenager who had recently dropped out of school, resides in the Katara Hills locality. Investigators revealed that the two local boys had been attempting to force a friendship with her for several days, repeatedly pressuring her to go out with them, which she resisted.

 

However, on July 1, the accused cornered the minor near her residence, lured her to an isolated spot behind a school near the local settlement under the guise of having a conversation, and took turns sexually assaulting her while recording the act on a mobile phone. Due to her mental condition, the traumatised victim returned home but was unable to communicate the ordeal to her family. The crime remained hidden until five days later, when the perpetrators sent the video clip of the assault directly to the mobile phone of the victim’s brother, besides sharing it with other local residents. Upon discovering the video, the shocked family rushed to the Katara Hills Police Station on Wednesday night, where police counsellors immediately conducted a session to assist the victim in testifying. Katara Hills Station House Officer Sunil Dubey stated that the FIR has been registered under BNS Sections 70(2) for gang-rape of a minor, 351(3) for criminal intimidation, POCSO Act Sections 5(g) and 6 for aggravated penetrative sexual assault, and Section 67-A of the IT Act for transmitting sexually explicit material.