Medical student escapes abduction, gang rape attempt
THE WOMAN, WHO WAS BEATEN UP BY THE 4 ASSAILANTS, MANAGED TO CALL HER PARENTS AND GAVE CRUCIAL INFO ABOUT HER WHEREABOUTS
HYDERABAD: An autorickshaw driver and his three accomplices allegedly attempted to abduct, gang rape and murder a 19-yearold medical student on the outskirts of Hyderabad but failed after the woman resisted her attackers and alerted the authorities in time, state police said on Thursday.
The incident happened at Nagaram village of Ghatkesar block in Medchal-malkajgiri district, about 20km from Hyderabad late on Wednesday, police added.
“The girl is safe, but in a state of trauma. She sustained injuries on her right leg and other parts of the body as she was beaten up by the assailants when she resisted them. She is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. The doctors are examining her,” Malkajgiri deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rakshita Murthy told reporters.
The woman’s condition is stable and the four accused men were arrested.
They are likely to be produced in court on Friday.
The DCP said the woman left her college around 6:30pm on Wednesday and was waiting for transport to go home, roughly 4km away, when she noticed an autorickshaw coming her way.
She got in and found an old woman and another girl in the vehicle. This made her feel safe, said Murthy.
“However, the other two passengers got down at Satyanarayana Nagar. After some time, two other men got into the vehicle.when the autorickshaw did not stop at RLR Nagar, where she was supposed to get down, and continued at a high speed, she became panicky,” Murthy said.
At 6:50pm, the auto finally stopped at Yamnampet village, roughly 6km from where she had started. There, another man with a van was already waiting. The four men allegedly bundled her into the van and started for Ghatkesar, another 2km away, said Murthy.
The men forced her into the van, the police said.
Around this time, police said, the woman made a quick call to her parents, who immediately dialled the police helpline number 100 to pass on the information.
Her mother told police that she received a call from her daughter saying she was being kidnapped. “The woman didn’t switch the phone off, so the call was on,” said a police official on condition of anonymity. It was unclear if the woman made the call before she was bundled into the van.
“We immediately alerted Keesara and Ghatkesar police, who started tracking the van based on the signals from her mobile phone,” said Murthy.
The men finally stopped the vehicle at Annojiguda around 7pm, and dragged her into nearby bushes. “They tore her clothes and attempted to rape her, but when they noticed the movement of police vans in the area, they beat her up with sticks and fled the spot,” the DCP said.
The police found the woman in a state of semi-consciousness in the bushes and immediately shifted her to hospital.
“We have formed 10 special teams to apprehend the accused. We have booked a case under relevant sections of IPC for abduction and attempt to rape and murder. Investigation is on,” Murthy said.
An official of the Rachakonda police commissionerate said on condition of anonymity that the four accused were taken into custody, based on the registration number of the autorickshaw and their mobile phones. They are likely to be produced before court on Friday.
State minister for women development and child welfare Satyavathi Rathod inquired about the incident and ordered stringent punishment be given to those found guilty.
She called up commissioner of women and child welfare Divya Devarajan to extend all possible help to the survivor.
Activists said it was unfortunate that such incidents were occurring in and around Hyderabad.
“The police should have a separate helpline for women safety, increase patrolling on the outskirts where colleges are located and provide lighting in the remote areas. Above all, the police have to sensitise the people,” said V Sandhya, president of Progressive Organisation for Women.