TURA(MEGHALAYA): Nine persons have been arrested after an FIR was lodged against them, accusing them of allegedly gang-raped a 13-year-old minor girl over a period of two months in Meghalaya 's North Garo Hills district, police said on Monday.The FIR, which was lodged by the girl's family at the Resubelpara police station on Sunday, had named 10 persons, including two minors. Nine of them have now been arrested while one is still absconding.The mentally-challenged girl was allegedly gang-raped raped repeatedly over the last two months, police said.They added that the wife of one of the accused had reportedly witnessed the dastardly act and informed the village elders about it.The village heads had then called the family members of the girl to a meeting on July 25 to arrive at a 'compromise'. However, the girl's family did not relent and lodged the FIR, the police said.They added that two of the accused were minors, while most of the others were married. Many of them were residents of Haluapara under the Resubelpara police station."It appears that they took turns to rape the girl at various times and at various locations in the village. The accused even confessed to their crime at the meeting held in the village," circle inspector of Resubelpara police station, GK Sangma, said.Social activists have strongly criticized the villagers for trying to suppress the incident and added that those who tried to hush up the matter should also be considered to be guilty."The villagers also need to be docked for trying to hide the heinous crime committed against a 13-year-old girl. There cannot be a compromise for what the culprits have done and for attempting to do so, the elders should be taken to task for trying to circumvent the law," social activist Dardy GC Marak said.It may be noted that kangaroo courts trying to decide the fate of criminals in a menace across the country,The problem is particularly bad in the Meghalaya's remote parts which are in dire need of gender sensitization.

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