Kannur: More than 20 persons raped a 16-year-old girl at a Parassinikkadavu lodge in Kannur. According to the victim’s statement given to the police, the girl’s father was the one who first raped her two years ago.

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The accused had opened a fake Facebook account under the name Anjana and befriended the victim.

A police team led by DSP KV Venugopal took lodge owner Pavithran, Mattool native Sandeep, Sreekantapuram natives Shamsuddhin, Shabeer and Naduvil native Ayub into custody.

Reports state that highly influential people including politicians are among those who sexually abused the girl. Cases have been registered under POSCO act.

What led to the arrest was a threatening phone call that reached the girl’s brother. The accused threatened her brother by telling that a naked video of his sister was with them and attempted to extort money from him.

As directed over the telephone, the brother reached Shoranur on the night on November 27 and was taken away by a three-member gang in a Maruti Swift. When the gang showed him the video, he started a quarrel with them. The trio then beat him up and dropped him at Shoranur railway station.

The youth who reached his hometown collected details from his sister and gave a complaint to the Kannur Women Cell.