In Hyderabad gang rape, 4th accused, a minor, detained; one yet to be arrested

Hyderabad gang rape case: The case has triggered massive outrage in the country.

Amid massive outrage, the police have detained the fourth accused in the Hyderabad gang rape case, who is a minor, officials said on Sunday. The fifth accused - an adult - is yet to be arrested, they said. A 17-year-old schoolgirl was allegedly gang-raped in the Jubilee Hills area of the Telangana capital after she went to a party organised by her classmates on May 28. A total of five accused have been booked so far- 3 minors and 1 adult are in custody. The car in which the attack took place has also been seized. 

Hyderabad: BJP workers protest inside the Jubilee Hills police station demanding justice to a teenager, who was allegedly gang-raped by schoolboys, in Hyderabad, Friday, June 3, 2022. (PTI Photo)

Here are latest updates on the Hyderabad gang rape case:

1. Telangana governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has sought a report from the police on the matter. "Deeply anguished over this heinous incident, the Hon’ble Governor has ordered for the submission of a detailed report within two (2) days on the issue from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police," an official statement read.

2. A political row has erupted over the case with some BJP leaders alleging that the “name of the rapists” are being guarded. "Law protects identity of a rape victim. But in the case of minor girl’s rape in Hyderabad, names of the rapists are being guarded zealously. Afterall what is the compulsion? TRS leaders who were chest thumping after the extra judicial killing of rapists in 2019 are whimpering…,” the BJP’s Amit Malviya tweeted on Saturday, hitting out at the KCR government. 

3. On Sunday, BJP MLA Raghunandan Rao was criticised and accused of releasing photos and videos of the survivor. Telangana Congress leader Manickam Tagore slammed Rao and questioned how he got access to the evidence that only the cops had access too, adding that BJP MLA should be booked for compromising the identity of the survivor. 

4. Rao on Saturday had released pictures and videos of the minor victim and a boy and asked the police to clarify if the boy in the photo was the son of an AIMIM MLA.

5. Joel Davis, the deputy commissioner of Hyderabad Police (West Zone), told reporters the accused were identified via CCTV footage and the girl's statement.

6. Top child rights body NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) on Friday asked for an explanation from the Hyderabad police over the delay in the registration of the FIR in the case. 

7. "The Commission has observed that since the incident allegedly/reportedly took place on 28.05.2022 (Saturday), the FIR in the said incident has been lodged on 31.05.2022, i.e. after three days of the incident. The delay in registering the FIR in the matter is a matter of concern. Reasons thereof may be furnished and action against the concerned errant official should also be taken and appraised to the Commission," the NCPCR said in a letter to the Hyderabad police.

8. A widely shared footage shows the schoolgirl standing with the accused, who had reportedly offered to drop her home When she returned, there were injuries on her body; deep in shock, could say very little of what had happened.

9. The case was brought to police's notice on May 31. “Since the incident, my daughter has been in deep shock and has been unable to disclose what happened exactly,” the father told the police later.

10. Jubilee Hills is one of the upscale areas of the city. The accused are said to be from politically linked families.