Minor Dalit girl gang-raped, impregnated in Andhra

Amaravati, May 12: In a shocking incident in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district, a minor Dalit girl was repeatedly gang-raped by a youth and his friends, impregnating her. The minor was making a living by begging near a place of worship in Proddatur town after the death of her mother.

A youth along with his friends had been sexually assaulting the girl for last few months. The incident came to light after she became pregnant. After the locals informed the police, a lady constable recorded her statement. There have been allegations that the local police tried to cover-up the crime by not registering a case against the accused.

The police have shifted the victim to an ashram. However, Kadapa District Superintendent of Police Anburajan on Thursday denied that there was a delay in registering a case. He said a case was booked on Wednesday and four accused were arrested.

The police investigations revealed that the girl was gang-raped by two youth about six months ago. Two more youth sexually assaulted her four months ago. The SP said the girl was sent for medical examination. Additional SP Pujita has been sent to Prodattur to investigate the case.

Meanwhile, opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh slammed the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government for the gang-rape of a Dalit girl in Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's native Kadapa district.

Lokesh called it 'inhuman' on the part of the police to cover up the molestation-cum-impregnation case. He said the women police wing brought the gang-rape to light and tried to do justice to the victim girl but all in vain. Lokesh demanded the government to explain why the police officials did not immediately register the case.

Instead of making efforts to nab the culprits, they made efforts to hush up the gang-rape. They silently shifted the girl to a private home in violation of the rules, he said. Nara Lokesh claimed that crores of public money was spent on advertisements in the media to lift up Jagan Reddy's image.

"They publicised widely that Jagan would come before the gun to rescue victims of atrocities. But now, neither gun nor Jagan arrived to prevent the Proddatur atrocity," Lokesh added.

Lokesh said the offenders had molested and made a teenage girl pregnant. The YSRCP Ministers should answer why they failed to do justice to her. Was it correct on the part of Jagan rule to protect the accused? The chief minister has no right to talk about women safety any more, he said.