All six accused, including five juveniles, in the gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in a car in Hyderabad, have been arrested, police said on Tuesday.
While five accused, including a major, were involved in penetrative sex, the sixth, a juvenile and said to be son of an MLA, has been booked for molestation.
Four juveniles involved in the gang rape include the son of a leader of ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who heads a government body. The crime was also committed in an Innova vehicle hired for government duty.
The police had earlier said that out of five accused, three were juveniles. Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, however, told a news conference on Tuesday night that one of the accused who was earlier reported to be major was, in fact, a month short of 18.
Stating that they have strong evidence against those committed gang rape, the police chief said they would be tried in a special court and they could face punishment for not less than 20 years or imprisonment for life till death or even the death penalty.
The five accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 D (gang rape), 323 (causing hurt), Section 5G read with 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 366 and 366 A (kidnapping) and Section 67 of Information Technology Act.
The sixth Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) was not involved in rape but he kissed the victim in the car. He has been booked under IPC Section 354, 323 and Section 9 G read with 10 of the POCSO Act. He could face 5-7 years imprisonment.
On the videos circulated on social media, the Police Commissioner said the CCLs took the videos while kissing the girl inside the car and circulated on social media.
Giving a detailed sequence of events, he said that the main accused Saduddin Malik and one CCL misbehaved with the victim in the pub where they were attending a party on May 28.
CCTV footage revealed they followed the girl outside the pub. Four CCLs and the girl boarded a Mercedes to go to a bakery. Malik and four other CCLs boarded Innova. While on the way to the bakery, the CCLs in the Mercedes forcibly kissed her, took videos, and circulated then.
The two cars reached the bakery at 5.51 p.m. The victim alighted from the Mercedes and boarded the Innova. At 6.15 p.m., the Innova left with Malik, the five others and the victim. However, minutes later, one CCL came back to the bakery as he had some urgent work. Malik and four other CCLs took the Innova to Road number 44 behind Pedamma temple, parked it there and then, they raped the girl by rotation.
The Innova later came to the pub and dropped the victim. The victim's father reached there at 7.53 p.m. to pick her up.
The case came to light only on May 31 after the victim's father lodged a complaint with the police and the police recorded her statement the next day.