NEET aspirant raped in Rajasthan's Kota, four students held

The girl is a resident of Gurugram and has been staying in a hostel in Kota for more than a year to prepare for NEET from a recognised coaching centre.

A 17-year-old student, preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission in undergraduate medical courses, was allegedly gang-raped by four students in Rajasthan’s Kota district last week, police on Thursday said, adding that all the accused have been arrested.

Police said the survivor filed the complaint on Tuesday and all the accused were arrested on Thursday (Representative photo)

According to additional superintendent of police (ASP) Uma Sharma, the alleged incident took place on Saturday when the survivor visited the house of an accused she was familiar with.

The girl, police said, is a resident of Gurugram in Haryana and has been staying in a hostel in Kota for more than a year to prepare for NEET from a recognised coaching centre.

“The survivor had met one of the accused, from Uttar Pradesh, on social media a month ago. On Saturday, the man invited her to his flat and also called three of his friends. Once the girl reached the flat, all of them raped her,” Sharma said.

Initially, the survivor was hesitant to approach the police over the incident, Sharma said. “She told her friends who, in return, asked her to file a complaint,” Sharma added.

Police said the survivor filed the complaint on Tuesday and all the accused were arrested on Thursday. The accused are aged between 18 and 20 and students of another coaching institute, police added.

“On Thursday, the police arrested all the accused from the flat of the prime accused,” Sharma said.

The accused were arrested under sections 376 D (gang rape) and 376 (rape) of Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. “A medical examination of the survivor was also conducted. She is undergoing psychological counseling. A probe is underway,” Sharma said.

Kota is the centre of India’s test-prep business, estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crore annually, according to officials in the district administration. Students from around the country arrive here in huge numbers after completing Class X, and register in residential test-prep institutes. They also enroll in schools, most of which are largely for purposes of certification.