Police apathy led to alleged gang rape of 17-year-old minor in Visakhapatnam: TDP mahila chief Anitha

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) mahila wing president V. Anitha alleged that police apathy and State Government’s inability to control crime against the women, as the reasons behind the alleged gang rape of a 17-year old girl under IV Town police station limits in Visakhapatnam.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) mahila wing president V. Anitha alleged that police apathy and State Government’s inability to control crime against the women, as the reasons behind the alleged gang rape of a 17-year old girl under IV Town police station limits in Visakhapatnam.

Addressing a press conference at the TDP office on January 2, Ms. Anitha said though the minor girl was lured and raped by multiple persons over a period of some days in different lodges in the city, the Police Department which boasts of using technology has failed to detect the crime and rescue the victim. She alleged apathy of the police in responding to the complaint of the parents on December 18. “Had the police traced her immediately after complaint, such incident may not have been reported,” she said.

The former MLA also questioned why were the police not revealing facts, at least the details of the accused involved in the incident by organising a press conference till date, even to the media. She suspected the involvement of the YSRCP personnel among the accused. She also alleged that though the TDP mahila wing is trying to meet the victim’s girl family to console them since the last two days, they are not able to get the whereabouts of the family.

“A family from Odisha had come to Visakhapatnam for livelihood and their daughter was allegedly gang raped here. Who is responsible for the incident. Is the Dalit Home Minister, who did not even react to the incident till date or Is it the Mahila Commission, who did not come to Visakhapatnam to console the kin of the victim till date,” she said.

Ms. Anitha also said that the Disha app and the Disha police stations, which were launched over much fanfare failed to protect women. She alleged that in the last four and half years, about 1.48 lakh cases of crime against women in the State were reported.

She also alleged that around 40 to 50 cases of crime against women were reported in the State since November 26, 2023, but at the end of the day, the Andhra Pradesh police claim of decline in crime against women.