The 50-year-old man, Mannem Subbaiah, accused of raping a minor in Guntur, allegedly hanged himself to death near a temple in Girazala Mandal.
The rape sparked massive protests in the area and angry locals pelted stones at the police for not arresting the accused.
“My son cannot live with the shame of what I have done, I have a grown-up child as well...I haven’t done anything good, I should not be alive,” said the accused in his last phone conversation.
A special team of police handling the case recovered the body, and have sent it for a post-mortem.
The incident took place on Wednesday evening. According to the police, the accused, a neighbour of the victim, fled from the scene of crime leaving the girl behind. The girl, a Class 3 student, complained to her mother of severe pain in her stomach.
Her mother then took her to the local hospital, and she was reportedly so badly injured that she required stitches. The girl was then shifted to the Guntur Government Hospital.
The police filed a case under IPC 376 as well as Prevention of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, on the basis of a complaint by the victim’s mother.
District Collector K Shashidar called on the victim at the Guntur Government Hospital and assured justice to the family.
AP Home Minister N Chinarajappa spoke to the media in Dachepalli and said, “We have met the family of the victim and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh has been announced. Authorities have taken this matter very seriously.”
He added, “Prima facie, it appears Mannem Subbaiah committed suicide; we are awaiting the post-mortem report and then further investigations will take place.”
(This is developing story)