HYDERABAD: Police have arrested four persons who had sexually exploited a 16-year-old girl several times by blackmailing her.

The Jubilee Hills police arrested M Sudheer, 30, a car driver from Borabanda, and his friends Srinivasulu, 23, from Rajendranagar, M Siddi Ramulu, 29, and M Shankar, 31, both from Indira Nagar in Banjara Hills.

The victim is the daughter of a watchman of an apartment in Jubilee Hills. Siddi Ramulu, who used to work in the neighbourhood of the apartment, befriended the victim by promising to marry her and lured her into a physical relationship.

Ramulu's friend Srinivasulu came to know about the affair. A few months ago, when the victim was alone at home, Srinivasulu entered her house and, by threatening to show photographs of her intimate moments with Ramulu to her parents, he raped her.

On coming to know about Ramulu and Srinivasulu sexually exploiting the girl, the other two culprits too blackmailed the victim and raped her at Borabanda.

On December 22, Sudheer abducted the girl from Road Number 40, Jubilee Hills, in a car and took her to a rented accommodation in Borabanda. By convincing the neighbours that she was his wife, Sudheer confined her for over 10 days and sexually exploited the victim. Meanwhile, the victim's father lodged a complaint with the Jubilee Hills police and a missing case was registered.

On learning that police were looking for the girl, Sudheer let her go home on January 3. After reaching home, the victim narrated to her parents about the kidnapping and sexual assault. Based on her statement, police altered the case and charged the offenders under 365 (kidnapping), 376 (2)(rape) of the IPC and sections 5 & 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act, 2012.

The four were arrested from their houses on Tuesday. They were produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.