17-Year-Old Gang-Rape Survivor Appears For Class 11 Exam In Rajasthan's Jhalawar

A 17-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped by nine youths in a field in Rajasthan's Jhalawar mustered the courage to appear for her Class 11 examination before recording her statement in the case, officials said Friday. Nine youths, including a minor, were arrested in the case and sent to judicial custody by court.

After counselling and persuasion by the parents, the survivor, a student of Class 11, sat for her annual examinations on Thursday. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when the girl, who had come to a village to attend a wedding, had gone into a field.

The accused grabbed her, took her to a secluded place and gang-raped her, police had said earlier. Based on her complaint the next day, a case was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, DSP Brijesh Kumar said.

The accused were identified and arrested. Eight of the nine accused were produced before the POCSO court on Friday that ordered to place them under judicial custody, Kumar said. The minor accused was produced before a juvenile justice board that ordered to send him to a juvenile shelter home, he said.

During the investigation, the police found that the survivor was familiar with some of the accused the in case as they belonged to the same village. Further investigation is underway, he added.