Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Rape case registered against constables of Mylavaram police station

VIJAYAWADA: The city police on Thursday registered cases against five persons, including two constables of the Mylavaram police station, on the charge of raping a woman in a lodge in Mylavaram on March 20.

Though the incident happened under the jurisdiction of the Krishna district police, the police headquarters in Hyderabad issued orders transferring the case to the commissionerate for impartial inquiry.

Police Commissioner K.V. Rajendranath Reddy, who recorded the statement of the victim, later said that a case was registered against constables Venkata Rao and Prasad, besides Munna and Venkata Narayana, their friends, under Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman), 365 (kidnapping or abducting), 376 (g) (gang rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

A separate case under Sections 376 (rape), 417 (cheating), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) was registered against Kodali Krishna Kishore, her maternal uncle’s son, who was named by her as the one who took her to the lodge.

The issued saw light only on Thursday following the spilling of beans by the victim herself to a television channel. The police recorded her statement and registered the cases. The victim, a 28-year-old woman from Gampalagudem, told the police that she was taken to the lodge by Krishna Kishore, who for long been promising to marry her. After they checked into the room, the constables and two others joined Krishna Kishore and they all raped her. She told the police that one of the constables recorded the scene in his mobile phone camera and he threatened her frequently later that he would make it public.

The woman said she was unable to resist them, as she was helpless and none from the lodge came to her rescue. After the incident, Krishna Kishore refused to marry her and began abusing her in filthy language. As he disappeared suddenly, she was left with no option but to bring the issue to the light to protect herself from the constant threatening by the constables.

Representatives of women’s organisations expressed their solidarity with the victim and announced that they would fight until the accused were punished.

Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samakhya P. Durga Bhavani demanded that all the five accused should be arrested immediately and stringent action must be initiated against them.

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