One of the two Class-12 girls from Kullu district who had gone missing has alleged gangrape by five youths in Manali.
While three of the accused are residents of Bathinda in Punjab and have been arrested, hunt is on for two locals, natives of Banjar in Kullu district.
Kullu SP Shalini Agnihotri said on June 15 two girls, one of them minor (17), went missing and the kin lodged a complaint with the police on June 17. The victims were recovered on June 20 from the Manali area after which the minor girl narrated her ordeal to the family.
A case has been registered against the accused under Section 376-D of the IPC and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
The SP said a complaint of gang-rape was lodged by the minor. The other victim also alleged sexual harassment but she was reluctant to file a complaint.
According to the victim, they took lift in the vehicle (PB03-AW-3414) from Seobag. The accused drove them toward Manali and stayed in a guest house, where the accused committed the crime. On the second day, they drove the victims toward Rangri in the Manali area. Police recovered them from Vashishth the next day.
The SP said on a tip-off by the minor victim the police had arrested the three accused from Bathinda in Punjab on June 24. They have been identified as Amandeep (28), Ishu (23) and Akshay (23). The search for the two local youths was on, she added.
"Today, we produced the accused before a court to seek a police remand. They have been sent on judicial remand of 15 days," the SP said.
The SP added that the medical examination of the minor victim has been conducted and report is awaited, while the other victim is not ready to undergo medical examination or file any complaint.
The police are trying to counsel the other victim to file the case against the accused.
