Anger spilled over to the streets of Andhra Pradesh’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 damaged a few vehicles - they pelted stones on them and set a few on fire.
The injured policemen were taken to medical centres for treatment.
The protesters were demanding that the accused - currently in police custody - be handed over to them.
The police resorted to lathi charging the crowds in an attempt to disperse them.
The entire drama played out till late in the night on Tuesday.
Watch visuals of the incident below:
A 10-year-old girl allegedly raped in #AndhraPradesh's Guntur, locals held protest and pelted stones on police officials yesterday pic.twitter.com/hFUVIqa7Nh
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018
#Guntur: clashes with police pic.twitter.com/6JGGujC9gu
— dinesh akula (@dineshakula) May 15, 2018
Ten vehicles were set afire, there was stone pelting & attack on local police as angry locals turned into mob demanding instant justice; this after 22-year-old attempted to rape 10-year-old child; accused was beaten up by locals before police took him away @tweetsreekanth_ @ndtv pic.twitter.com/TSLw7BVPY2
— Uma Sudhir (@umasudhir) May 16, 2018
According to reports, security has been beefed up in the area, with the Armed Reserve Police deployed in the region and the entire situation being overseen by Superintendent of Police Guntur (Urban) Vijaya Rao.
Prohibitory orders have also been put in place.
The accused, identified as Raghu, reportedly visited the minor's house when she was alone and attempt to sexually assault her. The police said that the minor then ran out of the house and hid nearby, before complaining to her parents about the entire incident.
Raghu was taken into custody after the minor’s parents complained. However, angry locals wanted immediate action to be taken against him.
Background
The state has recently witnessed a spate of sexual crimes against children, which has resulted in angry residents taking to the streets to protest.
Just earlier this week, the Srikalahasthi Rural police in Chittoor district arrested a 65-year-old man on charges of raping two minor girls.
The accused was identified as Subbaiah Naidu, a labourer. The victims were aged 5 and 7.
This came a day after it was reported that a 14-year-old minor girl was allegedly repeatedly raped and impregnated in a town in Guntur district by a local TDP leader.
The incident came to light when the girl and her family lodged a complaint with the Dachepalli police on Saturday and the accused was identified as 43-year-old Mahbub Vali.
The girl was sent to the Gurazala Government Hospital for a medical test and was found to be three months pregnant.
This was the second such incident to be reported from the same area, with the first one triggering protests across the state - where a 9-year-old child was raped by a 50-year-old man.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had earlier called for publicly hanging such rapists, adding that his government would be tough while dealing with such criminals.
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