A 15-year-old, who ran away from her home to live with her alleged lover, was sold off by him and then 'auctioned' and gang-raped, in Agra.

The Agra police said they had arrested seven people, including three women, in connection with the case and were looking for another accused.

The police action came after the Agra unit of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) got to know about the minor's ordeal and then took her to the area police station for lodging a first information report (FIR).

Later, the girl’s statement was recorded before the CWC members in the presence of the area police station officers on January 30.

The FIR was lodged under Section 376 DA (gang-rape of minors below 16 years) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“On the basis of the statement of the victim, we first arrested her alleged lover and then made all the other arrests one by one based on the information we collected during the interrogation of the arrested man. We formed three teams for the purpose and raids were being conducted to nab one who remains unidentified so far. All the arrested people were sent to jail late Wednesday,” said the in-charge of the area police station.

The police said the victim was employed in the packaging division of a meat unit in Agra along with her mother where she met the man, 22, and fell in love with him. On the evening of January 26, she fled home and went to the man's house, they added.

The police said the victim told the CWC members that the man was with her on the night of January 26. He then took her to a woman in another locality in Agra where he “sold her off” for an unspecified amount of money. That woman and her accomplice then took the victim to another woman, who is involved in the flesh trade and had in her possession a number of rented flats in the town which were used as brothels.

The woman to whom the minor was finally sold assured her of helping her find a job and got her photographs clicked. She then showed these photos to prospective customers for an auction and one among them, who is also a resident of Agra, offered the maximum bid, according to the police. She was first raped by that man then assaulted by two others who offered lower 'prices', they said.

The victim managed to escape and sought the help of a woman who took her to the nearest police station. Officials there then contacted the CWC. Efforts to contact the CWC unit in Agra failed.