Vijayawada: 7-year-old girl raped, villagers stage stir
The accused, along with a woman, was arrested.
Vijayawada: A 28-year-old youth, M. Jaya Rao, was arrested for raping a seven-year-old girl, both belonging to Tumrukota in Piduguralla mandal, Guntur district after the relatives of the victim and the villagers staged a rasta roko near Palavai Junction of Macherla seeking action against the culprit on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, the accused reportedly offered 'chicken pakodi' to the victim, took her to the outskirts of the village and committed the crime behind a big heap of grass and fled the spot.
Finding that the girl was bleeding profusely, the police shifted her to the GGH in Guntur. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed the police to take stern action against the guilty and announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh.
Gurajala DSP K. Srihari Babu said that the police arrested one Bhulakshmi, also belonging to the village, along with Jaya Rao, for giving shelter to the accused. He said that after raping the girl, Jaya Rao left the girl on the outskirts of the village.
Not finding their daughter, the girl's parents began searching for her and found her in a temporary thatched house near the belt shop in the village. They immediately informed about the incident to the police and demanded action against Rao. The police registered a case under POCSO Act and arrested the accused on Wednesday.
AP Women Commission chairperson N. Rajakumari, along with the members of the Commission, visited GGH and consoled the victim and her family members. She said that the CM granted a solatium of '5 lakh and a pucca house to the family.
Guntur Rural MPP Thota Seetamahalakshmi gave '5,000 aid to the victim's family. Guntur Urban Bank chairman B. Srinivas Yadav and others enquired about the victim's condition.
YSR Congress women leaders also visited GGH and consoled the victim. They criticised the TD government for failing to provide security to girls and women, as incidents of rape were occurring frequently in the state. They demanded '20 lakh compensation, government job to one of the family members and farmland to the victim's family.
Later, minister for women and child welfare P. Sunitha also visited GGH and consoled the victim and her family. She said that stern action would be taken against the culprit.
She said that the department was conducting awareness programmes for girls and women on protecting themselves from attacks.