Patiala: The police have arrested the paternal uncle and cousin of a 10-year-old girl for allegedly raping her for the past few months. The duo has been sent to one-day police remand after they were produced before the court here on Wednesday.Police’s probe revealed that the two accused used to rape the girl whenever she would return home from her school hostel during holidays. The girl’s 35-year-old paternal uncle and cousin (25) were arrested from a neighbouring village late on Tuesday night.The incident came to the fore after the girl, who is a Class VII student of a government school, revealed the ordeal to the school principal who had taken notice of her complaining about pain in the abdomen while in class. The principal immediately informed the police on Monday evening following which a case was registered against her two relatives.“We immediately informed the police teams to launch a manhunt for the suspects who were on the run after having learned about the complaint filed by the rape survivor. Acting on a tip-off, we nabbed them from a neighbouring village in Patiala. Both the suspects have been sent to one-day police remand and are probe is on. We are hopeful of getting more facts about the case after the suspects are interrogated,” a station house officer told TOI.The rape survivor had been staying in a hostel for the last two years. Over the holidays, the suspects used to bring her home and then rape her in the house, the girl had stated in her complaint. “The rape survivor’s father works as a labourer while her mother is a mid-day meal worker,” the officer said.A case of rape was confirmed during the girl’s medical inspection in the school on Tuesday which was conducted in the presence of a lady investigative officer. Following this, the police registered an offence against the two suspects under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.The girl was sent back to the custody of the school principal after the medical test.Initially, the police had registered a case under Sections 4 and 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as the primary information about the girl stated only physical abuse. However, once the medical test was conducted on the girl, it was confirmed that she has been repeatedly raped by her uncle and cousin.

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