Police in Chattisgarh said on Friday that a 15-year-old girl was gang-raped twice by five people seven months ago.
At least three people have been arrested, and the remaining suspects are being sought.
While some police officers claimed that one of the arrested individuals is a local Congress leader, the party has denied any connection to him.
According to police, the minor, a resident of Manendragarh district, was raped at a hotel in Chirmiri town and then sexually assaulted at a house in Bilaspur district.
On the basis of the survivor’s complaint, two cases were registered on Thursday under the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act, they added.
It was unclear why the girl went to the police after seven months.
“The girl was working as a domestic help in Chirmiri. She said that around seven months ago, she was drugged by a woman, Priti Pandey, and subsequently raped by two people – Nikka and Raja,” Manendragrah additional superintendent of police (ASP) Nimesh Bariaya said.
“A few days later, the minor was again lured by the same woman and they went to Bilaspur where she was raped by three people, including one Shahnawaz Ali,” he added.
According to police officials familiar with the case, Ali is a Congress leader in Nagpur’s Manendragarh district.
The claim was refuted by Akash Sharma, state president of the Youth Congress. “Ali is not affiliated with Congress,” he stated.
