10 and 12-year-olds, lure minor girl with berries, rape her in UP's Hathras

Two minor boys aged 10 and 12 have been accused of raping a nine-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district, police said, adding that both accused have been detained and sent to a juvenile home.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon under the Sikandra Rau police station area. The victim, a Class 4 student, had reportedly gone to a forest near her village to collect fodder when the two boys allegedly lured her into a nearby wheat field on the pretext of giving her berries.

Police said that once inside the field, the younger boy allegedly held the girl down while the 12-year-old raped her. All three children are residents of the same village, and the case came to light after the victim returned home and narrated the incident to her family.

Following the complaint lodged by the girl’s family, police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The victim has undergone a medical examination as part of the investigation.

Authorities said both accused juveniles were detained late on Saturday and produced before a magistrate, who ordered that they be sent to a juvenile home. Police said the investigation into the case is ongoing.