Police on Wednesday sent five youths, who were arrested in connection with the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, to Seraikela divisional jail.

The teenager’s body was recovered from the Kharkai river in theAdityapur thana area, 4km from the heart of the city, on June 20

Three of the arrested had gangraped the girl at a dilapidated government school building at Saldih Bustee in Adityapur on June 17 afternoon.

The victim then fled from the spot and jumped into the river where she drowned in the strong current.

The arrested were identified as Rohit Lohar, Durga Lohar, Abhijit Singh alias Bantu, Arjun Lohar and Ajay Pramanik, all in their early twenties and residents of Majhitola, in the same slum where the victim resided.

The victim was returning from her aunt’s house in Saldih Bustee to her home at Majhitola that afternoon, when it started raining.

She ran into the government school building where she encountered the arrested. Rohit Lohar had grabbed her and dragged her into a classroom.

According to the police, Rohit, Abhijit and Durga raped the girl in turns while Arjun and Ajay kept watch.

On being interrogated, the accused divulged that after they had gangraped the girl, they had left the room.

The girl had fled the spot through the back gate of the school and jumped into the river.

On June 20 evening, the girl's body was found floating in the river.

Seraikela-Kharsawan district superintendent of police, Mohammed Arshi, said though the girl had gone missing since June 17, the police received a missing person report on June 18.

“The Adityapur police had started searching for the girl after getting the missing persons report. After the girl’s clothes and a pair of slippers were found lying in the government school building on June 19, we intensified the search. After the girl’s body was found the police assumed that the girl might have fallen victim to criminals,” said Arshi at a press conference late on Tuesday night.

The superintendent of police said they had taken Rohit Lohar into custody the same night the girl’s body was recovered.

“Rohit who had already been arrested twice on charges of committing theft had pleaded innocence repeatedly. But he finally confessed. He had later divulged the whole story and also revealed the names of the four other culprits whom we arrested from the Adityapur locality,” Arshi said.

The senior police officer said Rohit had been keeping an eye on the victim since the past few months.

He said those arrested had been charged under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the IPC.