14-year-old tribal girl gangraped by three men including school van driver; one held

Raigarh, Nov 19: A 14-year-old tribal girl was raped allegedly by three men, including her school van driver, in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, police said Tuesday. One of the accused was arrested on Monday, a day after the incident on Sunday, they said.

The incident took place in the Lailunga police station area when school van driver Santosh Gupta (42) took the victim along with him on the pretext of going on a picnic, which he claimed, would be attended by other students, an official here said.

"He took her to Laripani Dam where another accused Pushpam Yadav joined them. When the victim realised the picnic plan was a hoax as none of her friends were there, the two abducted her and raped her in a forest nearby," he said.

"Gupta then took the girl to Birsingha village where he and the third accused, Sanjay Paikra, raped the minor in a hut. "The accused dropped her home early Monday morning. After she narrated the ordeal to her parents, they approached police," he said.

Gupta, Yadav and Paikra were charged under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366A (procuration of minor girl), 376D (gang rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said. Paikra was arrested on Monday while efforts were on to nab Gupta and Yadav, the Lailunga police station official added.

PTI