PTI, CHENNAI: After an 11-year-old hearing impaired girl was allegedly raped multiple times over the past seven months, 17 of her suspected tormentors were arrested, with some beaten up and dragged down the stairwell of a court today by angry lawyers, police said.

Those arrested included a liftman, security guards, plumbers, electricians and other maintenance staff working at the apartment complex in Ayanavaram locality where the girl lived with her family and where she was allegedly sexually assaulted several times.

Amid the shock and outrage over the incident, the accused were arrested and produced before the women’s court, where agitated lawyers punched and kicked them, while dragging them down the staircase as they were being escorted out.

The court remanded all the accused in police custody till July 31.

According to the police, the girl was sedated with injections, drug-laced soft drinks and made to sniff a powder by the perpetrators before they sexually assaulted her and videographed themselves in the act.

The Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) has, meanwhile, said no lawyers will represent the accused in the case and sought “strong punishment” for them.

“The advocates have registered their protest against this incident (sexual assault) by raising slogans against the accused persons. We have decided none of the advocates will appear for them,” MHAA president G Mohanakrishnan told reporters.

MHAA’s decision will be communicated to other lawyers’ bodies also, he added.

The arrests were made on the complaint by the victim’s father.