Police in Anantapur district have made multiple arrests and detained a minor in connection with the alleged repeated rape of a 15-year-old Dalit girl in Puttaparthi’s Edgurallapalli village. The horrific case, which reportedly spanned two years, only came to light on June 9 after the survivor bravely filed a complaint.
District Superintendent of Police V. Ratna confirmed the arrest of six primary suspects, identified as Achampalli Vardhan (21), Talari Murali (25), and four other individuals aged between 23 and 51. Authorities are actively searching for seven additional men also named in the survivor’s complaint.
According to the victim’s allegations, a group totaling 14 men had been serially assaulting her since 2022. The police have registered the case under stringent laws, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act, amidst suspicions that the perpetrators may have recorded their heinous crimes.
The case has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed his shock, vowing, “Such crimes will not be tolerated. We will ensure speedy justice and maximum punishment for the guilty.” Conversely, opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy seized the opportunity to criticize the current administration, asserting, “This reflects the deteriorating law and order under the current administration. There have been 188 rape cases in our state just this year.”
