KORAPUT: A 15-year-old girl in Malkangiri district was first allegedly gang-raped by three men and later sexually assaulted by a truck driver on the pretext of offering her a lift after seeing the teenager in a distressed condition. Though the incidents happened on Sunday, they came to light after the girl’s family members lodged a missing person’s complaint on Monday. All four men, including the truck driver from Madhya Pradesh, were arrested on Tuesday. Malkangiri superintendent of police (SP) Vinod Patil said while the two cases are unrelated, they involve the same girl. “Swift action was taken following the complaints, leading to the arrest of all four accused, including three youths and a truck driver. The survivor has undergone a medical examination and is currently receiving care at a govt-run childcare centre,” Patil said.According to the police, the first incident occurred on Sunday when three men, all in their late 20s, allegedly gang-raped the minor inside a house in Malkangiri between 7 pm and 8 pm after abducting her earlier in the day.While the distressed survivor was returning home later in the evening, the 26-year-old truck driver saw her and on the pretext of offering her a lift, took her to about 15 km from Malkangiri town, and raped her. (The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
