The Guntur police in Andhra Pradesh have taken as many as four suspects into custody, as part of the investigation into the rape case of a young nurse at the Seethanagaram Ghat on the banks of the Krishna river. The incident is said to have taken place around 3 km from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s official residence in Tadepalli. Jagan on Tuesday responded to the incident and said, “The unfortunate incident that took place overnight at Prakasam Barrage has enraged me. Such incidents should not have happened. The government and the police department should do everything they can to prevent such incidents from repeating. I strongly believe that true freedom is only achieved when women can walk freely in the middle of the night without fear. As your protector, I will work hard to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.“
On the night of June 19, a nurse who had gone out with her fiancé to the Krishna river bank in Seethanagaram in Guntur district was allegedly sexually assaulted by two unidentified men. According to the police complaint, the men tied up the woman's fiance and raped her. The two men then allegedly fled the scene in a boat, heading to Vijayawada. The police have suspected the involvement of local men with a history of crime and have formed special teams to nab the accused. More than 40 persons were rounded up as part of police efforts to nab the men who had allegedly committed the crime, according to reports. Local history sheeters were picked up as part of questioning, the police said.
Political parties have hit out against the YSRCP government over the incident. Former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu on Monday alleged that attacks on women in Andhra Pradesh have increased in the past two years. He alleged that the lack of action from the government against culprits and perpetrators is encouraging anti-social elements and others to continue their attacks against women. The TDP chief also termed all the initiatives to protect women, such as the Disha Act, Disha police stations, Disha mobile vehicles and Disha app as an “illusion and sham” by the government.
"If we are unable to protect our women, then what is the purpose of making so much noise about the new acts and apps? The existing acts and infrastructure are more than enough to prevent such ghastly crimes, provided they are implemented properly," he said. Naidu also demanded to know how many cases have been booked and what actions have been taken under the Disha Act.
The TDP leader said that a police outpost that was set up earlier at the Seethanagaram Pushkar Ghat was in ruins now, and appealed for immediate intensification of patrolling on the banks of the Krishna river. "It is high time that the police respond quickly and nab the criminals at the earliest in order to build confidence among the people and protect women across the state," he added.
TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh also lashed out at Jagan alleging inaction. He questioned whether the Chief Minister even knew that such an atrocity took place against a woman, close to his ‘palace’.
Taking to Twitter, he said, “Where are the police who will be in the forefront to book cases against TDP leaders?...Where is Jagan when such an injustice took place close to the CM’s house? The security of women has become a concern under the Jagan government as he has kept thousands of police personnel to guard him, fearing the Amaravati movement.”
Meanwhile, state Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang on Monday asserted that the culprits will be nabbed. "Orders have been issued to Krishna and Guntur Superintendents of Police and Vijayawada Police Commissioner to nab the people responsible for the crime," the DGP said, terming the incident “heinous.” Sawang added that there will be no tolerance for such incidents and warned that however powerful the accused are, they will not be spared.