Vijayawada hotel staffer arrested in Nuzvid minor sexual assault case

VIJAYAWADA:  Day after a minor girl was sexually abused on the outskirts of Nuzvid town, police on Friday nabbed the accused in the case. The accused, Annam Venkateswara Rao, 35, is a hotel employee and was arrested from his house after he was identified with the help of CCTV footage, Nuzvid Deputy Superintendent of Police B Srinivasulu said.

After finishing work, Venkateswara Rao was on his way home when he saw the girl waiting for her father outside her house around 9.30 pm.  He lured the girl saying that he knew her father and he would take her to him. Then Rao took her to the outskirts of Nuzvid on his bicycle and sexually assaulted her and abandoned the victim in the bushes by the road, the DSP said.  “Fearing that he would be caught, he confined himself to his house after the incident came to light. Eight special teams were formed to nab him.”

The DSP also announced a cash reward for Nuzvid Rural sub-inspector Ranjith Kumar and Central Crime Station staff Bala Ramesh and Rajesh. Meanwhile, Krishna district collector A Md Imtiaz visited the girl and her family members at the Old Government General Hospital in Vijayawada. The collector extended a financial aid of Rs 25,000 to the family members, as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Disha one-stop centre officials issued the cheque to the victim’s mother. 

The Victim’s mother said, “We just want to leave our village and settle at some other place where no one knows us. We just want the officials to help us relocate us once our daughter’s treatment is done. The person who has done this heinous act should be given the highest possible punishment so that no other person dares to commit such a crime.”

Disha one-stop central administrator Vidya Sravanti said the victim’s parents can stay at Disha one-stop centre till the time they are relocated.

Palakollu man booked
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