A 62-year-old man allegedly raped two siblings, aged 7 and 4, at Cherlopalle village of Srikalahasti mandal on Friday night. The incident came to light on Sunday morning when the fear-stricken girls revealed the incident to their parents, who approached the police.
According to Dy. SP (Srikalahasti) Venkata Kishore, Chintakani Subbanaidu (62), a daily wager of the village, had in a drunken state lured the girls offering biscuits and chocolates.
The girls were returning home after collecting prasadam from a local temple around 8.00 pm on Friday. He took the girls to the terrace of the local Anganwadi building attached to the panchayat office and assaulted them sexually.
He reportedly threatened them not to reveal it to the parents.
The siblings reached home and kept crying all the night. Their mother, a farm worker, got to know the reason on Saturday morning after much cajoling. After the father, a construction worker, returned home on Saturday evening, the couple along with some elders in the neighbourhood went to Subbanaidu’s house and confronted him.
He asked them to remain silent by offering money in instalments. The aggrieved parents returned home helpless.
On Sunday morning, they mustered courage and approached the Dy.SP with a complaint. When Mr. Venkata Kishore along with CI Sudarshan Prasad rached the village, the accused reportedly told them that he did not flee as he took it for granted that the parents would not make it an issue.
The Dy.SP told The Hindu , said: “The accused was ruthless and had even resorted to pervert sexual practices on the children.”
Subbanayudu was arrested under various Sections under the POCSO and the Nirbhaya Acts. The victims were sent to the area hospital.
Compensation
Vindya Valli, ICDS project officer (Sikalahasti), spoke to the parents and the victims and informed the matter to the district administration. “Compensation and rehabilitation would follow after the medical examination report,” she said.
The accused has two unmarried and unemployed daughters with B. Tech and B. Ed degrees. After the death of his wife, he married again. Subbanaidu has a criminal past including a rape a decade ago. The family members declined to speak to the police, saying they felt ashamed.
The Dy. SP said the residents of Cherlopalle village had maintained restraint and did not resort to any disturbances following the unfortunate incident.
