Andhra Pradesh: 3-year-old raped, killed by kin in Tirupati, held
The accused, relative of the victim, allegedly lured her with chocolates and took her to nearby fields behind a local school, where he sexually assaulted her.
A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by her 22-year-old relative in a village of Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh, the police said, adding that the accused was arrested on Saturday.
Tirupati district superintendent of police (SP) L Subbarayudu told reporters that the accused had buried the body of the girl after committing the heinous crime on Friday evening.
“We arrested the man in the morning (on Saturday) and he has confessed to the crime. We have filed a case of rape and murder of a minor under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and protection of children from sexual offences (Pocso) Act,” he said.
He said that the man, a close relative of the victim, allegedly lured her with chocolates and took her to nearby fields behind a local school, where he sexually assaulted her. “After raping the girl, he had strangled her to death and buried her body in the same fields,” he said.
When the girl did not return home even after late in the evening, the family lodged a complaint with the Vadamalapeta police. “The girl’s mother told the police that she had last seen her daughter with the accused, who would regularly come to their residence,” Subbarayudu said.
On Saturday morning, the police took the accused into custody and interrogated him. “He eventually confessed to have committed the rape and murder,” the SP said.
Based on the information given by him, the police went to the spot where the girl was buried. With the help of the locals, they retrieved the body and sent it to the government hospital at Puttur for post mortem.
After the incident, state women development and child welfare minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani said chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the heinous incident of rape and murder of the three-year-old girl in Tirupati district. “The chief minister announced an ex gratia of ₹10 lakh to the victim’s family,” she said, adding that he had spoken to the district authorities and directed them to take stern action against the accused by moving the fast-track court.
State home minister Anita Vangalapudi also expressed shock over the incident and said she would call on the victim’s family on Sunday and hand over the cheque for ₹10 lakh, announced by the chief minister. She appreciated the police for their swift action in arresting the accused within hours, showcasing their efficiency.
The minister assured the grieving family that the government would extend full support to their investigation and also pledged a thorough justice for the victim.
Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) lashed out at the Chandrababu Naidu government for failing to control atrocities against women and girl children.
“Ever since the TDP-led NDA came to power in Andhra Pradesh, there have been a series of atrocities on women and girls and the government has miserably failed to control them. The people are bowing their heads in shame,” former deputy chief minister K Narayana Sway said.
He said during the YSRCP regime, the police used to take stern action against the perpetrators of such atrocities within hours, thanks to the Disha police stations and Disha mobile application. “But now, the new government has done away with such police stations, as a result of which there is no protection to women and girls,” the YSRCP leader said.
Another YSRCP leader and former minister R K Roja attributed such incident to the inept policing during the Naidu government. “It is a shame for the chief minister, deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan and home minister Anitha for their utter failure in safeguarding law and order,” she criticised.