HYDERABAD: The father and stepmother of Pratyusha (19), who was rescued from their clutches here Wednesday, had wanted to kill her slowly by torturing her to get hold of a flat that’s registered in her name. The LB Nagar Police on Thursday revealed that Pratyusha was tortured for over seven months just because the couple wanted to grab her property.
Her stepmother Chamundeshwari alias Shyamala was remanded to judicial custody whereas her father Ramesh, a joint telecom officer in BSNL’s Kothapet circle, continues to be at large.
Pratyusha is the only daughter of Ramesh and his first wife Sarala who he had divorced in 2003. At that time, they had registered a flat in Padmarao Nagar in Pratyusha’s name. Ramesh married Shyamala in 2008 and two years later, Sarala passed away. Pratyusha, who had been staying with her mother, was then sent to an orphanage.
As soon as Pratyusha turned a major last year, her father Ramesh, with the ulterior motive of grabbing her property, took her home, said E Srinivas Reddy, inspector, LB Nagar. She was made to do household chores by her stepmother. After being rescued, Pratyusha told the police that Shyamala and her father threw acid on her face, made her drink toilet cleaners, hit her with iron rods and also rubbed burning cigarettes on her back on a regular basis.
The teenager continues to remain in shock and trauma at the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit at Aware Global Hospitals, LB Nagar and is on various supportive mechanisms. Doctors believe she may recover physically in a couple of weeks but said her psychological rehabilitation might take several months. On Thursday, they found an abnormal accumulation of fluid in her peritoneal cavity in the abdomen as well as corrosive ulcer over private parts.
Ravindra Nallagonda, Consultant - Interventional Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, said she has multiple abrasions, acid/corrosive burns in mouth and base of tongue, oral cavity ulcers, congestion in esophagus and stomach. She had liquid diet and continues to be depressed and in deep shock, added the doctor.
The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the district medical and health officer and the police to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a report. P Achyutha Rao, member, SCPCR, said they would demand dismissal of Ramesh from the telecom service. State Women’s Commission chairperson Tripurana Venkataratnam, when contacted, said the Commission has not taken any action in the case as SCPCR has already intervened.
in Shock