A 17-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly kidnapped and raped by four individuals in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district, police reported on Tuesday. The horrific crime has sparked outrage in the region, with authorities now investigating the case.

The accused, identified as Bihari Saini, Ashok Yadav, Jiut Verma, and Arvind Sharma, abducted the girl from the Sukhpura police station area on March 6. According to police, the perpetrators took her to Mathura, where she was subjected to sexual assault. The minor managed to escape her captors and returned home on March 9, demonstrating remarkable resilience.

Following her return, the girl’s mother lodged a complaint, prompting police to register a case on March 10. The accused face charges under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, reflecting the gravity of the crime and its caste-based dimensions.

Circle Officer (City) Shyamkant confirmed that three of the accused hail from the same Sukhpura area as the victim, while the fourth’s residence remains unclear. The investigation is ongoing, with police working to apprehend the suspects and uncover further details about the incident.