7 men arrested in a gang rape case in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district

Nine men, including two former Indian Army personnel, have been accused of an alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl in Giddalur village of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. One of the accused, Koyilakuntla Surendra, had allegedly mixed sedatives in her drink before raping her. He’d then invited his friends to join him in the crime. DSP N V Ramanjaneyulu of Markapuram said on Monday that following the event, the accused kept blackmailing the victim and raping her for almost a year.

The crime came to light recently when the girl broke down and narrated the series of events to her parents who kept prodding her, having found her depressed. After this, a police complaint was lodged.

Giddalur police have managed to arrest seven of the nine accused. Two other accused are currently on the run. The accused have been booked under IPC Section 376-D (gang rape), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), and Section 420 (cheating) under the POCSO Act.

POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) Act of 2012 was enacted to provide a robust legal framework for the protection of children from offences of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and pornography while safeguarding the interest of the child at every stage of the judicial process. The act contains effective provisions to curb the menace of child abuse. It provides mandatory reporting, child-friendly provisions of recording of statement and evidence and speedy trial of the cases.

As per National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 1,04,976 cases have been registered under POCSO Act during the year 2014-16.