Madurai : Two men were arrested for raping a 15-year-old girl stranded in Tiruchendur after running away from home. Two minor boys have also been booked under Pocso Act .
The Class X student had left her home in Tirunelveli on Oct 15 after arguing with her parents over failing an exam, said police. Mani, 28, raped her before leaving town with Shanmugasundaram. Karthik, 26, a divorcee, promised to marry her and took her to his house in Vadipatti on Oct 16, and raped her, said police. Tirunelveli police traced her to Vadipatti, and rescued her from Mattuthavani on Oct 17.
The boys harassed her during the trip, said police. Police said the men had gone to the fest to commit theft. Police said the two minors would be produced before Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an observation home.
When she did not return, the parents lodged a ‘missing person’ complaint with the Thalaiyuthu police. The girl had boarded a train to Tiruchendur with her boyfriend and another friend. After learning from their parents that police were after them, they handed her some money and abandoned her. At Tiruchendur, three men from Madurai — Karthik , Shanmugasundaram and Mani — approached her, offering assistance. They took her to Kulasekarapattinam where a Dasara festival was under way. She escaped with help from locals and reached Mattuthavani bus stand in Madurai. Police had used CCTV footage and facial recognition to trace the whereabouts of the girl and the three men. Karthik was remanded by the Dindigul police.
Mani and Shanmugasundaram were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday.