Rape cases of minors rock Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Rape cases of minors are haunting Hyderabad. Hardly two days after a 17-year-old girl's gang-rape case hit the national headlines, another case of rape was reported in city. Two persons, including a cab driver, who allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted a minor were arrested.

Based on a complaint lodged by the family members that the victim went missing from house on May 31, the police teams cracked the rape case and apprehended the accused. The investigation revealed that an11-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a cab driver and his friend on May 31 night. They offered her a free ride promising to drop her home.

She was staying with her grandmother at Sultanshahi in the Old City and wanted to meet her parents. She left the house at around 6 pm without informing anyone. As she did not have money, she decided to walk to her parent's house. When she reached near Pahadi Shareef arch, the cab driver, identified as Shaik Kaleem, noticed that she was alone and approached her.

She initially refused as she did not have money but the driver convinced her to get in and promised to drop her at her mother's house.

The cab driver picked up his friend Mohammed Luqman, proceeded to the latter's house at Kondurg village, in Ranga Reddy district. The two then took the girl to Luqman's house and allegedly sexually assaulted her. The next morning Kaleem took the girl in his car to Sultan Shahi and dropped her.

The police shifted her to Bharosa centre after coming to know about the sexual assault. After she complained of stomachache to her parents and narrated the incident, the family lodged a complaint with the police. They apprehended the accused. A case under POCSO Act was registered against them, the police said.