3 held for gangraping minor in Tamil Nadu

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two drivers and a conductor in a private bus in Omalur on Monday night. She later managed to raise an alarm, alerting villagers, who rescued her and handed over the accused to the police.

The police said the girl left home at 11.30 a.m. after an argument with her parents in the city. After wandering about for a while, she went to the Old Bus Stand in the evening and boarded a bus heading to Karuppur. After the passengers got down, the bus, driven by S. Manivannan, proceeded towards Narayanampalayam village. When Perumal, the conductor, questioned the girl, she told him of the tiff with her parents. When the bus reached the village at 10 p.m., Manivannan, Perumal and another driver P. Murugan, 35, of Udayapatti raped her.
Omalur Police said the 15-year-old girl studying in Class X and residing in Salem quarrelled with her parents and went to Salem Old Bus Stand, where she boarded a private bus heading towards Narayanampalayam near Omalur. She travelled in the bus throughout the day. When the last trip was over, it was 10.30 pm. But the girl stayed put.

Bus conductor Perumal, a resident of Muthampatti, befriended the girl and asked her why she was not alighting the bus. The innocent girl, who seemed to be unaware of the dangers involved, told him about the quarrel with her parents.

Sensing an opportunity, Perumal and bus drivers Manivannan, a resident of Sanniyasigundu, and Murugan, a resident of Athikarapatty, started misbehaving with her and later allegedly raped the minor girl.