In a gruesome incident, the Andhra Pradesh police on Wednesday booked a man after he allegedly sexually assaulted his own four-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The incident came to light after a complaint was lodged by the girl's mother. The crime is said to have taken place on Saturday in the state's Krishna District.
Speaking to reporters, District Superintendent of Police (DSP) for Avanigadda V Pothuraju, said that the accused, a school teacher, had offered chocolate to the minor as she was on her way to school, before he assaulted her. The minor later complained of body pain and narrated the incident to her mother, who immediately filed a police complaint.
Media reports stated that the husband and wife had been separated for two years now and a maintenance case filed by the woman was still pending. The man, who was staying in Kaikaluru, some 90 km from Avanigadda, would frequently visit his children, the police said.
The couple also have a 9-year-old son.
Stating that a preliminary medical examination had confirmed the sexual assault, the DSP also told reporters that the minor had been admitted at a government hospital where doctors declared her condition to be stable.
A case has been booked under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the police is yet to officially arrest the accused. Further details are awaited.
Last month, a teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old student was paraded naked on the streets of Eluru town in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district.
A video of the incident, which did the rounds on social media, shows people indiscriminately abusing him and kicking him as they paraded him on the street with his hands tied behind his back.
In May this year, anger spilled over to the streets of Andhra’s Guntur district as news of an alleged attempt to sexually assault a 10-year-old spread. Residents blocked a road near a police station and pelted stones injuring some police officials. The angry protesters even set a few vehicles on fire, demanding that the accused – who were in police custody – be handed over to them.