People protest against the rape of a nine-year-old girl in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur
The accused in the rape of a nine-year-old girl in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district may have killed himself, the police said on Thursday. The 50-year-old rickshaw-puller was seen going towards Krishna river, and reportedly told a man that he wanted to kill himself, Director General of Police M Malakondaiah said.
The police chief said the accused could be mentally ill. The accused, Subbaiah, had married twice and both his wife had left him.
Dachepalli in Andhra Pradesh had been boiling over with anger and grief after the nine-year-old was raped allegedly by her 60-year-old neighbour. The entire neighbourhood had come out on the streets on Wednesday night, demanding that the accused should be immediately arrested. Some demanded instant justice: he should be hanged or shot dead in public, they screamed.
The police have had a tough 24 hours trying to keep people's emotions and actions under control. On Wednesday night, they were witness to protestors spilling on to the state highway and blocking traffic for nearly six hours, till 4 this morning. The traffic jam was as long as 18 km.
The police chief on Thursday said the situation was fully under control, and appealed to people to cooperate in maintaining law and order.
Mr Malakondaiah said the accused has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which was amended last month by the centre to include death penalty for rapists of children younger than 12 years.
The police said 17 special teams have been formed to look for the accused.
The child is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Guntur. Two state ministers, P Pulla Rao and N Anand Babu, have visited the hospital and promised assistance to the girl's family.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has told district officials to ensure that the accused is arrested immediately.
With inputs from IANS