Vitla police arrest five for raping girl

PTI, Aug 2, 2023, 5:02 PM IST

Vitla police have arrested five people on charges of sexually assaulting a girl multiple times since 2019.

The accused have been identified as Akshay Devadiga (24), Kamalaksha Bellatada (30), Sukumar Bellatada (28), Jayaprakash (38) and Raja (25). Four of the accused are from Vittal area, while another is a resident of Kasaragod district in Kerala, police said.

The 14-year-old victim was first raped by her relative Jayaprakash in 2019 and also many times this year.

Four of the accused sexually assaulted her by taking her to isolated places with a promise of marriage, according to the complaint from the victim’s mother. The girl has identified all the five accused. They have been charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act, police said.