After a 17-year-old girl and her mother allegedly died by suicide in Andhra Pradesh over police inaction in a sexual assault case, their family has alleged that police negligence led the duo to take their own lives. The girl was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a man earlier in September, but when she and her 45-year-old mother approached the Pedavegi police in Eluru district, the officials allegedly refused to register a case. “When they approached the police with the complaint, the SI humiliated them. The SI was supposed to assure justice but is that the way to behave with them?,” asked the woman’s mother.
According to the deceased woman’s husband, when his wife questioned the Sub Inspector of the Pedavegi station, the SI allegedly humiliated her by suggesting that she was compliant in the kidnap and sexual assault of her 17-year-old daughter. “He (SI Satyanarayana) kept postponing the case and went on leave for three days. Unable to bear with the humiliation, they both took their own lives. Our family’s plight became like this only because of the SI’s negligence. The accused should also get punishment,” he said. The family has called for strict action against the accused, as well as action against the SI for delaying action in the case.
The 17-year-old girl went missing on September 12, when she was allegedly kidnapped and sexually assaulted, and her mother had approached the police to file a complaint. A day later, as the girl was found , the mother went to the police again, the SI allegedly refused to file a First Information Report (FIR) and register a case. Days later, on September 16, the girl and her mother attempted to die by suicide, and though they were rushed to hospital, they succumbed on September 24 and 25.
In the aftermath of their deaths, SI Satyanarayana has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered. Eluru Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Dev Sharma told TNM that the SI did not register a case even after receiving word of the duo’s hospitalization. He said that SI Satyanarayana breached his duty by acting in a negligent manner. A case of abetment to the suicide was registered against the SI and investigation is under way.
After the death of the teen and her mother, the police have now registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and investigation is underway.