No advocate to represent accused in a rape case at Kakinada

KAKINADA: No advocate in Kakinada Bar Association has come forward to represent the accused in the brutal rape on a four-year-old girl. The accused is in remand without getting any bail.

The incident took place in November 2020 and the police have gathered evidence in the case and filed a charge sheet five months after a thorough investigation.

The accused is a drug addict and he carried away the four-year- old baby while she was sleeping in her house at midnight into the bushes nearby a graveyard and raped her. To save her, doctors performed three major surgeries.

The Kakinada Bar Association under the leadership of the then president Srinivasa Rao has resolved that no advocate should represent the accused when the case came up. Hence, accused T Prabhu (25) is in remand without bail. 

The police keep going to the victim’s house to enquire about her health. “Recently I visited her house. She is fine and studying,’’ said the DISHA DSP Mohan. He said technical and scientific evidence have been gathered.

Srinivasa Rao said advocates of Kakinada have supported the Bar’s resolution not to represent the accused.After catching the accused after two months from Hyderabad, the police filed a charge sheet in March2021. The trial in this case is pending along with other Disha cases.

The Andhra Pradesh government passed the Disha Act 17 months back. However, not a single case has come up for hearing or trial, citing the problems arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic in East and West Godavari districts. There were nearly 100 cases relating to rape, sexual abuse and sexual attacks, brought forward under the Disha Act, out of which 90 per cent belong to girls below 10 years. 

It is learnt that the police are finding it difficult to gather evidence within a stipulated period as per Disha Act, as nearly six departments -- Municipality (birth certificate), Education (birth proof), revenue (caste certificate) and medical reports like examination of the victim and preservation of evidences and reports from regional forensic science laboratory from Vijayawada. If the accused is not caught, it will take more time to file the charge sheet.

The police said that however all charge sheets were filed within the stipulated period as per guidelines. According to sources, 30 cases each in Kakinada and Rajamahendravaram and more than 30 cases at Eluru are on trial, excluding 498A linked to conflicts between wife and husband, with the Disha police stations in East and West Godavari districts.