Chennai: Four men were arrested for getting a Class 8 student addicted to cannabis and repeatedly raping her multiple times in Chennai on Monday.


The arrested were identified as a dental student Vasanth, a budding actor Rejith, a college lecturer Prasanna and a college student Vishal, Times of India reported.


The whole incident came to light when her stepmother lodged a complaint with the police after the girl's grandmother informed her about the issue.


According to the police, Vasanth Gireesh, a second-year dental student, befriended the minor student. After that, he started taking the girl home and introduced her to cannabis. After she got addicted to cannabis, the dental student raped the minor while she was under the influence of drugs. He further made fake promises of marrying her. 


More often than not, he reportedly took her home every night and rape her after making her smoke up marijuana.


The girl who lives with her grandmother started to sneak out of her home more often. As her father was working in a foreign country and her step-mother was residing with her daughter separately, there was no one to check on the girl.


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Using this, Gireesh started to pick the girl up at night or at school and used to drop her at her house by 5 AM. He also invited his three friends over and they too raped the girl while she was under the influence of the drug. 


Due to the addiction and continuous rape, the girl bunked school. Growing suspicious over her disappearance, the teacher informed this to the girls’ grandmother. A few neighbours also said that she was dropped home by some men in the morning. 


Based on the complaint, the police arrested Gireesh, Prasanna, Rejith and Vishal. They registered a case against them under POCSO Act and produced them before a magistrate. Later, they all were lodged in the prison.


The police have started to investigate the accused and have seized their mobile phones to check if the accused have recorded the rape.