Chittoor: A shocking incidet has come to light from Andhra Pradesh's Chittoor. Police arrested two men, who were posing as forest department officials and gangraped a minor girl last week, on Tuesday and has launched a manhunt for another who is on the run.
Reportedly, the accused has been identified as 21-year-old M. Mahesh, 31-year-old P.Kishore and 27-year-old J. Hemanth Prasad, all residents of Chittoor. Two of the accused, Kishore and Mahesh, have been taken into custody, while a manhunt is underway to trace the third accused. According to the police, Mahesh and Kishore are married and have children.
The incident has led to a political storm in the state after the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) claimed that the accused are members of the opposition Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). The YSRCP has claimed instead that the accused are linked to the TDP.
Pictures of the accused with both party’s members are now going viral on social media, according to News18.
The three men were loan recovery agents, according to The Hindu. They had first apprehended her and her friend and snatched her gold chain. According to The Hindu, the minor girl is a member of the Dalit community. The minor girl’s friend was also thrashed by the trio.
Taluk police registered an FIR on the night of September 29 based on information provided by the girl’s friend.
Reportedly, the victim’s family was initially hesitant to file a complaint, but a special team located them and persuaded them to seek justice.
The accused men has been booked under the POCSO Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
