A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by seven people, including six boys, in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district, police said on Tuesday.

Police detained all the seven accused. Barring a 19-year-old, the others are minors (aged between 15 and 17 years), a police officer said, adding that one of them was known to the victim.

The incident occurred on Sunday night in the Pathalgaon police station area when the girl, a resident of a nearby village in Surguja district, was returning home after visiting a weekly market with her friends.

“As per the preliminary information, the girl was stopped by the accused, one of whom was known to her. They forced her to accompany them and raped her. The girl managed to reach home late at night and lodged a complaint at Sitapur police station (Surguja) on Monday,” said Surguja Superintendent of Police Yogesh Patel.

As the incident occurred in Pathalgaon area of the neighbouring Jashpur district, Sitapur police registered a zero FIR (which allows victims to lodge complaints at any police station regardless of the crime’s location). The case will be transferred to Jashpur police for further action, he said.