ELURU: An unidentified youth raped a nine-year-old girl at Anumojupalem Road near Iragavaram in West Godavari district late on Sunday night. The girl’s mother lodged a complaint with the Iragavaram Police in the small hours of Monday.According to cops, the girl’s grandmother had asked her to fetch milk sachets from a nearby shop around 7.30 pm on Sunday. The girl was on her way back home after the purchase when the culprit, who wore a helmet to hide his identity, stopped his bike beside her and took her with him to Anumupalem road, where he allegedly raped her. After committing the crime, he warned her against telling anybody about what had happened.
After the girl’s parents separated seven years ago, she has been living with her mother and grandmother.
When the girl did not return after an hour, her mother and grandmother grew suspicious and began searching for her in the neighbourhood.They enquired at the shop from where the girl had bought milk sachets, but the shopkeeper could not be of much help. After a while, they saw the girl walking back home. When they asked her where she had been, the girl broke down and showed them the blood on her legs.
The frightened women rushed her to Tanuku Government Hospital when the bleeding did not stop. The girl fainted after she was admitted. Police, reached the hospital on being alerted and inquired about the incident. The victim’s mother told them what had happened and lodged a complaint around 3 am.As there are no CCTV cameras along the route which the culprit took, it is difficult for the man’s identity to be established. Apart from this, what has complicated investigation was that he was wearing a helmet.
Narsapur DSP G Poornachandra Rao said, “We are searching for the culprit. We will catch him and put him behind bars soon.” Advocate P Sujatha, condemning the incident, said the accused when caught should not be given bail.
Call for strict punishment
Advocate P Sujatha said the accused when caught should not be given bail. “This alone will act as a deterrent,” she said. AIDWA district president P Kalyani said the incident was painful and that the accused should be punished. ”We demand a trial in a fast track court,” she said.