Seventeen-year-old Natta Venkata Lakshmi of Peddaparupudi village who died on May 1, was not subjected to sexual assault and the victim died of health problems, said the police.
Death of the girl sparked protests in Peddaparupudi village with some locals staging dharnas alleging that the girl was raped and murdered.
The girl, who was studying in Intermediate first year, joined in a computer coaching centre at Machilipatnam, during summer vacation. She fell sick on April 11, and her parents provided treatment in a local hospital and later shifted her to Vijayawada for better treatment.
Venkata Lakshmi underwent treatment in Government General Hospital, Vijayawada, for meningitis (an infection in brain and spinal cord). She died on May 1, and the parents shifted the body to her native place in Peddaparupudi village, said Krishna district Superintendent of Police J. Prabhakara Rao.
Following rumours that the girl was sexually assaulted by some unknown persons and killed the Peddaparupudi police registered a case under Section 174 Cr.PC (suspicious death) and took up investigation.
During investigation, it was revealed that Venkata Lakshmi went home on March 30 and returned to Machilipatnam on April 3, with her friends Asha and B. Raj Kumar and attended classes. On April 7, she complained of fever and the institute staff provided treatment to her, said Pamarru Circle Inspector G. Srinivas Yadav.
Forensic doctors who performed post-mortem on the body, in the preliminary report, said that there was no evidence of physical assault on the girl.
There were no signs of struggle found on the body, said the autopsy report.
“The girl’s parents did not express any doubt on the death and clarified that she underwent treatment before the death. The medical reports of Machilipatnam and Vijayawada hospitals are supporting the evidence that she was on bed with meningitis before death”, said Mr. Prabhakara Rao.
