SRIKAKULAM: In a shocking incident, a 43-year-old fisherman was thrashed by the residents of Chinna Kovvada village of Ranasthalam mandal on Sunday after his 16-year-old daughter alleged that she had been harassed sexually by him for the past two years.
The issue came to light after the girl brought the issue to the notice of the village elders. She alleged that her mother, despite knowing it, never raised her voice. The irked villagers beat up the fisherman before handing him over to police.
The accused has been identified as Mailapalli Appanna, a resident of Chinna Kovvada village. "The accused has been sexually harassing his daughter since she was 14. The victim's mother Polamma knew about it but never opposed her husband. Vexed with the torture, the girl narrated the entire episode to the village elders," said Ranasthalam sub-inspector V Satyanarayana, quoting the victim's statement.
Irked over the issue, the villagers rushed to the girl's house, dragged Appanna to the village square and beat him up. Later, they handed him over to the police.
The cops first shifted the injured Appanna to a hospital before taking him into custody.
"A case has been registered under the Section 376 of the IPC (rape) and Section 5,6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The minor has been sent to a hospital for medical examination," said the Ranasthalam sub-inspector.