NAGARKURNOOL: Two minor boys aged between 14 and 16 were booked by Lingal mandal police under the POSCO Act on Monday for raping a minor girl at her residence. The incident reportedly took place a month back as per her widowed mother’s complaint.
The inebriated minors forced their way into the victim’s home and threatened the mother. They raped the girl and even recorded the act on their mobile phones. Worried about social stigma, the victim’s mother did not file a case initially. Instead, she approached village elders who in turn conducted a panchayat and asked the accused to pay compensation to the victim’s family.
Women’s groups raised a furore, following which Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod instructed the Lingal police to immediately register a case against the accused boys. She also issued instructions to the Nagarkurnool Area Government Hospital to medically examine the young girl. The Minister said that the government would stand by the victim’s family and the two minor boys would be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board for appropriate punishment.