The eighteen accused who allegedly sexually harassed an 11-year-old girl for over 7 months were on Tuesday thrashed by lawyers at the Mahila Court in Chennai. All the accused were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody till July 31.

The girl was allegedly sexually harassed for over 7 months at an apartment building in Chennai. The accused involve security men, lift operator and water suppliers in the apartment where the minor girl stays.

The girl was allegedly sedated and given spiked soft drinks. The police say she was also blackmailed over a video that they had recorded of the girl.

The arrests were made after the victim's father filed a complaint that of assault of his 11-year-old daughter. The victim identified all the accused, police said.

The sexual assault came to light after the victim, a class seven student, narrated her ordeal to her elder sister. The sister informed their parents who lodged a police complaint on July 15.

"The girl has said that she was molested by 11 people and has identified all the accused (including accomplices of the alleged perpetrators of the crime)," a senior police official said.

The official said the girl was first sexually assaulted by a lift operator and later several others joined in the assault. At least four of them have confessed to the assault, while two others said they had molested the girl.

Police said further investigations were on and CCTV footage would be analysed. "We are taking it as a special case and working on it," the officer said.