Hyderabad, Mar 29 : A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by four persons, who posed as policemen, in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in the wee hours of Thursday, police said.
The incident occurred on the outskirts of Singarkonda village in Addanki mandal of Prakasam around 1.15 am, they said, adding, the accused, including a tractor-driver, a mason, all aged between 25 to 32 years, have been arrested.
According to Darsi DSP Venkata Lakshmi, the victim, a school drop-out, had gone to Singarkonda to attend a religious festivity on a hillock along with her distant relative last night.
After attending the religious programme, the girl and her male relative, were returning home on foot, she said.
"As they felt thirsty, they went to a road-side borewell, where the four accused, who had also attended the festivity, were standing.
"The four men introduced themselves as policemen (in plain-clothes) to the girl and her relatives and collected their personal details," the DSP told PTI.
After this, three of the accused caught hold of the girl's relative, while another accused dragged the girl to nearby bushes and raped her. Later, the three others raped the girl one by one, the senior police officer said.
Some students who were passing from the area, heard the cries and came to the rescue of the girl, but the four accused, who hail from Rumpicherla of Guntur district, started pelting stones.
Meanwhile, a police team on patrolling duty rushed to the spot and caught hold of two accused while two others managed to flee, the DSP added.
Though, they were also nabbed finally and questioned.
Based on the complaint lodged by the girl and her relative, the four accused were booked for gang-rape under section 376(G) of the IPC and under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention) of Atrocities Act.
The girl has been sent for medical examination police said, adding, further investigations were on.
