15-year-old girl raped by head constable in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A 48-year-old head constable was arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a minor girl, who was rescued last evening.

”The 15-year-old girl was kept in a house in Shastripuram area by the head constable, who is already married and has five children,” Inspector, Kamatipura police station, S Sudarshan said.

The girl's elder sister, who is her guardian following the demise of their parents, lodged a complaint with police on Thursday that she was taken away by the constable in a car on March 2, he added.

The girl was rescued from the house last evening following which the policeman was taken into custody, Inspector said.

The accused head constable is attached to the Kamatipura police station here.

He "intended to marry" the 15-year-old girl, Sudarshan said.

Since the girl is a minor, a case under IPC section 363 (kidnapping) was registered against him and he was taken into custody for further questioning last night while the girl was sent for medical examination, he said.

"During the course of investigation, it was found that the head constable had physical relationship with the teenage girl," Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) V Satyanarayana said.

"The other family members of the girl had supported the head constable as he had told them that he would marry her. They had infact allowed him to take her to some religious places in Gulbarga and other cities in Karnataka, and also Mumbai," he said.

In view of this, the police altered the sections in the case and booked the head constable under IPC section 376 (rape) and also under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, the DCP said.

The head constable has complained of ill-health and has been hospitalised, he said.

He would be produced before a local court, Satyanarayana added.

The officer said that disciplinary action will be initiated against the head constable.