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. 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. The boys harassed her during the trip, said police. 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. Mani, 28, raped her before leaving town with Shanmugasundaram. Police said the men had gone to the fest to commit theft.




Karthik, 26, a divorcee, promised to marry her and took her to his house in Vadipatti on Oct 16, and raped her, said police. She escaped with help from locals and reached Mattuthavani bus stand in Madurai. Tirunelveli police traced her to Vadipatti, and rescued her from Mattuthavani on Oct 17. Police had used CCTV footage and facial recognition to trace the whereabouts of the girl and the three men.




Mani and Shanmugasundaram were remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday. Karthik was remanded by the Dindigul police. Police said the two minors would be produced before Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an observation home.