In a shocking revelation, the Vijayawada police on Monday said that the 41-year-old woman whose body was found at Bandar canal, was gang-raped by six persons and later strangled by the perpetrators, to conceal their identity.
While two persons, including the main accused Md. Subhani (27) and S. Gopi Krishna (24) were arrested in connection with the rape and murder, the other four are still at large. Addressing a press conference, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) M. Ravi Prakash said that Subhani, who was working as a driver for the woman's husband, hatched the plan to rape the woman. On March 15, Subhani approached the victim citing some water pipeline problem at about 10.30 a.m. after her husband and daughter left home. “Being a known face, the victim allowed him in. He came with two others including Gopi Krishna and dragged her to the bedroom and gagged her. He later called three other accomplices and took turns to rape her. They later strangulated her and moved the body to the neighbouring flat where Subhani works as a driver as the owners were out of station,” the DCP said.
When he husband returned home for lunch at 2 p.m. and could not find the woman, he lodged a missing case at the Patamata police station. The body was dumped into the Bandar canal, a day later. It was found floating near Vaikunthapuram village, Penamaluru mandal on Monday night.
The culprits took away the gold ornaments, cell phone, slippers and saris of the victim to mislead the police. They even called up the victim’s son, who is studying in Chennai from her cell phone, to inform that she had eloped with someone. The DCP said a number of sections pertaining to Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, rape, murder and dacoity have been slapped on the criminals, adding that a fast track special court would be set up to handle the case.
