Chennai, Feb. 19 -- Seven college students were on Tuesday arrested in connection with alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, police said, adding one of the accused was known to the survivor through social media.

Coimbatore city police commissioner A Saravana Sundar said the girl, who lived with her grandmother, left home on Sunday morning claiming she was going to meet some friends. However, she did not return home till late on Sunday and her mobile phone remained switched off, following which her grandmother lodged a missing person's complaint at the Ukkadam police station.

She returned home on Monday morning and informed the police that one of the accused, who had befriended her over social medi...