Six-yr-old girl raped, murdered; villagers nab suspect

Ongole: A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered at Chadalawada village in Naguluppalapadu mandal of Prakasam district on Sunday night. Villagers caught the suspected accused, thrashed him and handed him over to the police. The victim’s parents, who work as daily wage labourers, had gone to Hyderabad for work, leaving the girl in the care of her grandmother at their native village.

According to preliminary information, the accused, identified as Ajjam Anand Babu, 25, a neighbour of the victim, allegedly took the girl, who was sleeping beside her grandmother, to an isolated place outside the house and sexually assaulted her. He allegedly killed her to prevent her from disclosing the incident. He is also suspected of carrying the girl’s body back and placing it on a chair near her house before attempting to flee. Villagers who reportedly saw him fleeing caught him and handed him over to the police. The girl was shifted to the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Ongole in the early hours of Monday, where doctors declared her dead.

The incident triggered protests by the victim’s family members, relatives and villagers, who blocked the Ongole–Chirala highway, demanding stringent action against the accused and justice for the child.

The protesters called off the blockade after senior officials assured them that a murder case and charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act would be pursued, along with steps to ensure an expeditious trial and assistance to the bereaved family.

District collector P Raja Babu, SP V Harshavardhan Raju, MLA B N Vijay Kumar and other officials visited the GGH, inspected the body and spoke to the family members and police officials about the incident. The collector announced immediate financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh and said a house would be sanctioned to the family. He said the district administration would coordinate with the police and closely monitor the case to ensure that the investigation and trial were completed without unnecessary delay. Expressing concern over the incident, the collector also said the administration would intensify efforts to curb the alleged spread of ganja in the district, citing concerns over its connection with criminal activity.

SP Harshavardhan Raju said the police had registered a case and were investigating the incident from all angles. Evidence was being collected and every aspect of the case examined, he said, adding that the findings would be presented before the court to ensure legal action against the accused.

Meanwhile, the accused’s family denied his involvement in the crime. Speaking to The Hans India, they claimed he had been falsely implicated and alleged that some villagers were attempting to politicise the incident. The allegations have not been independently verified. The investigation is underway.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Naresh Nandam

Naresh.Nandam[email protected]

Naresh Babu Nandam works as a Special Correspondent at The Hans India and primarily covers the erstwhile Prakasam district. He has a master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a bachelor's degree in Law. He has around twenty years of experience in print and broadcast journalism. He is a certified Google News Initiative trainer for fact-checking and online verification. Outside his journalism work, he is an OSINT practitioner and takes part in CTF challenges. He is the author of a spiritual thriller titled 'The Amber Scroll', available on Amazon.in.

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