A 13-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, drugged and gang-raped in Kolkata before her family was blackmailed with a video of the crime, police in India say.
The teenager's mother alerted police to the alleged rape and told officers that individuals filmed the attack and attempted to use it for extortion.
Police Investigation Underway
Local media in India report that the girl's mother named a friend of her daughter alongside several others as suspects. Police told Indian media outlet Rediff that the teenager had left her home in the Baguiati area of Kolkata to meet a mate in nearby Birati on Saturday, October 24.
A police spokesperson said the girl was reportedly kidnapped, transported to a hotel in the Hooghly district and compelled to consume a drink spiked with sedatives. He said the youngster was then attacked "by multiple persons".
Family Targeted with Blackmail
When the girl failed to return home, the mother contacted her daughter, who said she was in Barrackpore with a friend and would be back by 10pm or 11pm. The mother grew desperate after phoning her child again as she did not come home.
A man telephoned her from an unidentified number, stating he had discovered the girl weeping in the street and had allowed her to use his phone. Shortly after midnight, the girl texted her mother, saying she was in danger and claiming her friend took her to a man's house, according to Rediff, reports the Express.
The girl arrived home at approximately 10.30am and informed her mother she had been transported to a house where she was assaulted while under the influence of a sedative. She was also reportedly coerced into taking a contraceptive pill.
Formal Investigation Launched
Officers have launched a formal investigation into the matter. No arrests have been made as yet.
The development comes after a 16-year-old girl was subjected to a gang rape before being thrown into a canal by two men. She managed to survive after clinging to a tree branch until her rescue.
The attack occurred in Khurja, an Indian city located approximately 55 miles southeast of Delhi. Police confirmed on Thursday (October 8) that both perpetrators, who had hurled their victim into the Upper Ganga Canal, have been taken into custody.
The teenager's screams echoed through the early hours of Wednesday morning (October 7), with a local resident tending to his livestock spotting her gripping the branch at dawn. He immediately contacted authorities and assisted in pulling the girl to safety, according to Times of India.
