Chennai, Jan 11 (TIWN) Tamil Nadu police has arrested nine persons, including a 77-year-old man, at Gingee in Villupuram district for sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl.

The Gingee All Women Police station (AWPS) on Monday arrested nine persons including a 77-year-old man on charges of sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl.

The girl was found to be four months pregnant. She has been admitted to an observation home in Villupuram

The arrested include Mannankatti alias Venkatesan, 77, R. Ilayaraja, 28, M. Venkatesan, 25, R. Prabhu, 37, K. Babu, 22, P. Ezhumalai, 26 and A. Satyaraj, 28. The girl’s cousin, aged, 32 was also arrested as was her aunt, aged 50, for allegedly abetting the crime. Cases have been registered against the accused under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

According to a police officer, the girl in her complaint alleged that she was subjected to sexual abuse for nearly seven months. “The girl’s parents had died, and she had moved to her aunt’s house in the district to for her class 11 schooling. The crime came to light when the minor girl and her aunt went to a government hospital for a check-up and the girl was found to be four months pregnant. “

Based on a complaint from Childline, the Gingee AWPS arrested eight persons including the girl’s cousin. Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the minor’s aunt had abetted the crime and she was arrested.

The accused were produced before a local court and remanded in custody.

(The names of the girl’s aunt and cousin have been withheld to protect the survivor’s identity.)