Hyderabad minor sexually assaulted by 9 men over 3 days, all arrested under POCSO
Synopsis
A 16-year-old Class 11 student in Hyderabad was allegedly drugged, abducted, and assaulted by nine men across three days — in a car, during a train journey, and in a hotel room. The case exposes a pattern of Instagram-facilitated grooming and substance-based coercion, and has led to the unprecedented arrest of an OYO hotel's owner and manager for failing to verify the age of a minor guest.
Key Takeaways
A 16-year-old girl was allegedly drugged, abducted, and sexually assaulted by nine individuals over three days in Medchal Malkajgiri, Hyderabad .
All nine accused have been arrested and charged under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the BNS .
The assault reportedly began after initial contact through Instagram and involved sedatives, liquor, and other intoxicants administered to the victim.
The victim escaped on 10 September 2026 and filed a complaint at Alwal Police Station under Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate.
The owner and manager of an OYO hotel in Dulapally were also arrested for admitting a minor without proper age verification.
A 16-year-old girl, a Class 11 student, was allegedly drugged, abducted, and sexually assaulted by nine individuals over a period of three days in Medchal Malkajgiri district, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. All nine accused have been arrested and booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police confirmed.
How the Assault Unfolded
According to police, the victim had come into contact with an accused identified as J. Varun when she was in Class 10. He allegedly assaulted her in his car after administering a chocolate laced with sedatives. A second accused, Romala Varun, introduced to her by J. Varun, reportedly made her addicted to cigarettes, liquor, and ganja before also assaulting her. A third accused, David Varun, had reportedly befriended her on Instagram and allegedly made her consume alcohol before assaulting her.
On 9 September 2026, following an altercation with her father, the girl left home and reached Bollarum Railway Station, where she encountered an individual named Neeraj. Neeraj allegedly called his associate Vicky, and the two allegedly assaulted her after administering intoxicating substances. Vicky then allegedly took her, along with another person named Nikhil, to an OYO hotel in Dulapally, where the assault continued. She was subsequently confined at Vicky's residence in Bollarum.
Escape and Police Complaint
The following day, the victim managed to flee and returned to Bollarum Railway Station. According to police, Vicky and his associate Ganesh forcibly located and drugged her there, then transported her via train to Malkajgiri, allegedly assaulting her during the journey. Upon arriving in Malkajgiri, the victim escaped from an autorickshaw and made her way home. With the support of her family, she approached the Alwal Police Station under the Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate and lodged a formal complaint.
Arrests and Hotel Accountability
Police swiftly moved to arrest all nine accused following the complaint. Additionally, the owner and manager of the OYO hotel in Dulapally were also arrested for admitting a minor and allotting a room without conducting mandatory age verification — an accountability measure that signals scrutiny beyond the direct perpetrators.
Legal Action and What Comes Next
Cases have been registered under the POCSO Act and multiple sections of the BNS. The POCSO Act mandates stringent punishment for sexual offences against minors, including a minimum sentence of 10 years for aggravated penetrative sexual assault. The incident has drawn attention to how digital platforms, particularly Instagram, and substance-based grooming are increasingly being weaponised to exploit vulnerable minors. Investigators are reportedly examining the full chain of contacts and communications to determine whether any further accused remain at large.
Point of View
Progressively addicted to substances, and then subjected to serial abuse. The arrest of the OYO hotel's owner and manager is a rare but necessary step: hospitality platforms cannot remain passive enablers when mandatory verification protocols are violated. Crucially, the digital trail across Instagram contacts deserves thorough forensic examination — the named accused may only be part of a larger network. Law enforcement must treat this as a systemic failure, not merely a case of nine individual bad actors.
NationPress
14 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Hyderabad minor assault case?
A 16-year-old Class 11 student was allegedly drugged, abducted, and sexually assaulted by nine men over three days in Medchal Malkajgiri district near Hyderabad. The assaults occurred in a car, during a train journey, and in an OYO hotel room before the victim escaped and filed a police complaint.
Who have been arrested in the Hyderabad POCSO case?
Nine individuals — including J. Varun, Romala Varun, David Varun, Neeraj, Vicky, Nikhil, Ganesh, and two others — have been arrested. The owner and manager of the OYO hotel in Dulapally were also arrested for allowing a minor to check in without proper age verification.
Under which laws have the accused been charged?
All accused have been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The POCSO Act prescribes a minimum sentence of 10 years for aggravated penetrative sexual assault on a minor.
How did the victim escape?
The victim managed to flee on 10 September when she was being transported by autorickshaw in Malkajgiri. She reached her home and, with the support of her family, lodged a formal complaint at Alwal Police Station under the Malkajgiri Police Commissionerate.
How were the accused connected to the victim?
Some accused were known to the victim, having befriended her during her Class 10 years or via Instagram. Others came into contact with her after she left home on 9 September. The accused allegedly used sedative-laced food, liquor, and ganja to facilitate the assaults.
