NEW DELHI – A minor Dalit girl was raped over three days by four menincluding two who gang raped her on the pretext of helping her reach homein Dewas district, 153 km south west of state capital Bhopal, said police.Police arrested all the four accused on Saturday.

The rape and gang rape took place at three different places over three daysby the accused one after another.

Sajjan Singh Mukati, Nemawar town police inspector, said, “The 15-year-oldvictim had gone to Indore, 40 km away from her home, alone withoutinforming her parents on July 16 to meet a man but she didn’t find him. Sheboarded a bus on the same day to come back home in Dewas but fell asleepduring the journey in a bus. When she woke up she found herself atNasrullahganj town in Sehore, 150 km away from her home, on July 17. Thebus conductor Ishwar Jat assured the girl of helping her and took her to asecluded place where he raped the victim whole night. He left her atdeserted a place after the crime.”

The inspector said, “The girl was seeking help of people at the town to getback home when two youth Sanjay Meena and Gopal Meena offered to help herand took her to a school building where they held her captive and gangraped her for two days. She, somehow, managed to flee from the school andreached a neighbouring village where she met an acquaintance with whom sheshared her ordeal and requested him to help her.”

However, said Mukati, on the pretext of helping the girl the acquaintancetook her to a secluded area where he raped her. She was found on a roadpassing by the village in a bad shape by her father on Friday, said Mukati.

She later lodged an FIR with police against four persons.

Police registered the FIR under section 376 (d) ( gang rape) and 363(kidnapping) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 3 (assaulting an SC/STwoman with intent to outrage her modesty) of SC/ST Prevention of AtrocitiesAct and section 4 of POCSO (penetrative sexual assault).