TIRUPATI: In a horrifying incident, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a close relative at EM Puram in Vadamalapet mandal, Tirupati district.
The suspect, identified as Nagaraj alias Sushanth (22), reportedly lured the minor girl with chocolates around 4.30 pm on Friday. He then took her to a secluded area and committed the crime. He allegedly buried her body at the scene.
When the child was nowhere to be found, her parents questioned Sushanth as he was last seen with the girl. After he reportedly confessed to the crime, the girl’s body was traced and sent to Puttur Government Hospital for a post-mortem.
Police detained Sushanth and booked a case under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act for rape and relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for murder.
Condemning the incident, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday warned of stringent action against persons resorting to atrocities against women.
Register case against ex-MP under POCSO Act: Vasireddy
This is even more so in cases of minors who may find it extremely difficult to withstand social boycotts and mental harassment that usually follows such incidents, which may even scar them for life, she said.
Further, she requested the CP to register an FIR against Madhav and the management of the TV news channel under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act. Stating that this was not the first time Madhav had demeaned women, she recalled, “In 2022, a video of the former MP talking to a woman on a video call naked had gone viral.”
Calling for strict action, she stressed that it was high time politicians like Madhav understand the repercussions of their actions and are held accountable so that it sent out a strong message that the safety and dignity of women is not to be treated frivolously.