WARANGAL: The news of the rape of a minor Scheduled Caste (SC) girl and the subsequent termination of pregnancy in Warangal came to light on Friday. Though the 15-year-old had kept the news hidden from her parents for two months, she gave in to the incessant queries of her mother, who lodged a complaint with the police.
Warangal Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Giri Kumar Kalakota said the 19-year-old accused Akash had trapped the minor on the pretext of love and invited her to her place to celebrate his birthday two months ago.
On that day, he allegedly raped her. Soon after, she became pregnant and went to his place to inform him. However, the accused’s mother Radhika and sister Harshita threatened the 15-year-old and warned her against revealing it to anyone.
Kin of accused help with abortion
Weeks after the pregnancy was confirmed, Radhika and Harshita took the pregnant minor to a Rural Medical Practitioner (RMP) in Station Ghanpur and had her pregnancy terminated. Sources said the accused’s family members got the procedure carried out in a rural area to prevent the news from spreading.
Mattewada police registered a case under Section 375 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), POCSO Act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Akash, and also booked Radhika, Harshita and the RMP for assisting the accused. The probe in the case is underway, said ACP Giri.