A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped and set ablaze by a man, reportedly for not accepting his love proposals, at a village in Tirumalagiri mandal on Friday night.
The incident came to light on Saturday when the girl’s father approached the local police station and filed a petition. Tirumalagiri police said the girl had suffered severe burns on her hands and stomach and was immediately shifted to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Warangal for emergency care.
According to the petition by the girl’s father, one Guguloth Venkatesh belonging to the same village was after his daughter for the past two years. He followed her to college, back to the village and constantly harassed her in the name of love.
The 42-year-old father, who works as a coolie and resides in Boduppal, Hyderabad, also said that a village panchayat was organised recently, warning Venkatesh to keep away from the minor girl. The girl lives along with her relatives in the village in Tirumalagiri mandal and is pursuing a paramedical course from a nearby college.
On Friday, at around 8.30 p.m., Venkatesh who made sure that no one was at home, got into an exchange with the girl, took her to the backyard and raped her. Later he poured petrol on her and set her ablaze, the father’s petition said.
The victim’s family members said her medical examination was conducted and she was kept in a critical observation unit. Tirumalagiri sub-inspector B. Daniel Kumar said the accused Venkatesh was booked for rape and attempt to murder, under various charges of the IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. An investigation is on.
