Three men have been arrested for raping and killing a 46-year-old tribal woman in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh. The three men have been identified as Anji, Chinna Anji and Paiswamy. The woman was an ASHA worker. According to the police, the survivor and the accused all belong to the ST community and were staying in neighbouring villages.
Revealing the timeline of the incident, Palnadu district SP Ravi Shanker Reddy said, the woman had approached a man called Muthaiah seeking help to find her missing phone. It was around 10 pm on September 16. The three accused were at Muthaiah’s house for collecting their wages when the woman asked for help. As Muthaiah said he couldn’t help, three men who overheard this conversation, offered to help, saying they knew someone in their village who could help trace the phone. The woman was taken to a man called Venkanna by the three men.
“Venkanna said he could trace the phone only if it was switched on and since the phone was off, he said he will not be able to help. They all decided to go back. While returning, the three men, who were in an inebriated condition, forcibly raped the woman when they reached a secluded spot. They then killed the woman by smashing her head with a boulder,” said Palnadu SP Ravi Shanker Reddy.
The family approached the police when the woman did not return home. A case was registered and the police began an investigation. They zeroed down on the three accused as Muthaiah told the police that the woman was last seen with them. The police took the three accused into custody and upon interrogation, the three men confessed to the crime.
The police are also investigating whether these three men have a criminal history. The body of the woman was later shifted to Macherla Government Hospital for post-mortem. The local MLA visited the woman’s family and offered his condolences. He has assured that strict action will be taken against the three accused.