Eight Arrested in Hyderabad Teen Assault Case; Ninth Accused Absconding

Eight people have been arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl at multiple locations in and around Hyderabad, police said. A ninth accused is still at large, and efforts to trace him are continuing.

The case came to light after the teenager escaped from the custody of the accused on September 10 and returned to her family. She subsequently approached the police with her relatives and lodged a complaint, on the basis of which a case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the complaint, the girl left her home on September 9 after being reprimanded by her father and reached Bollarum railway station, where she met an accused identified as Neeraj. Another accused, Vicky, later joined them. The girl was allegedly given a cigarette laced with marijuana and sexually assaulted.

Vicky is then alleged to have taken her to a hotel in the Dhulapally area of Hyderabad, where a third accused, Nikhil, and two others joined in the assault. Investigators said the assaults took place at several locations, including a house in Bollarum, the Dhulapally hotel and an empty train coach near Medchal.

The teenager managed to escape from Vicky's house in Bollarum, but was allegedly caught again by Vicky and his friend Ganesh, who are accused of assaulting her once more. She later escaped while travelling in an autorickshaw and reached her family.

Police said some of the accused had come into contact with the girl through social media. Investigators are also examining allegations of earlier sexual abuse involving six of the accused over a period of about one and a half years.

A separate allegation concerns an earlier incident involving an accused identified as Jerry Varun, in which the girl was allegedly given a chocolate containing sedatives before an alleged assault inside a car. Another accused, Romala Varun, was allegedly introduced to her and is accused of making her consume cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana.

The owner and manager of the Dhulapally hotel have also been arrested for allegedly allowing the minor to enter the premises and providing a room without proper verification.

Malkajgiri Deputy Commissioner of Police Ch Sridhar said investigators were working to identify and trace those allegedly supplying ganja to the accused. He said the police were verifying the individual role of each accused and examining the allegations relating to the supply and use of intoxicating substances.

The eight arrested accused have been produced before a court.