Minutes after the doctors at the Government general Hospital broke the news of the death of minor girl, Dharavathu Lalitha Bai, the premises erupted with heart-rending cries of the family members. The sight of her mother, Chavali Bai, her sisters Parvathi and Aruna weeping inconsolably moved the people. ``If only my daughter stayed with me, this tragedy would not have happened. My daughter had gone to Tenali only to shoulder the burden of feeding the family. We were helpless as her tormentor attacked her,'' Chavali Bai cried out.
As the body was moved to mortuary for conducting the post-mortem, the family members tried to reach out and it became quite a task for policemen to hold them back.
Meanwhile, public anger mounted and leaders of civic societies joined the family members and sat on a dharna opposite the mortuary. Former minister S. Aruna, Praja Rajyam women wing general secretary Ratna Kumari, CPI (M) district unit secretary D. Rama Devi, Mala Mahanadu district president K. Chennakesavalu and others condemned the attack and demanded that the accused be sentenced to death.
Aruna said that the girl should have been moved to Hyderabad, where she could have received better treatment, while Rama Devi urged the State Government to set up fast track court and expedite the judicial process. Praja Rajyam leaders sounded harsh and said that women were no longer safe in the State and blamed the Home Minister for the repeated attacks on women. The family members demanded an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh should be paid. Joint Collector A. Sarath reached the mortuary and consoled the members. He assured that a sum of Rs.1 lakh would be immediately disbursed ands asked the Tenali RDO to make the arrangements.
Guntur-1 M.L.A Mastan Vali too visited the hospital. Tenali DSP P. Madhusudana Rao, who is the investigating officer in the case, Town DSP D. Koteswara Rao, RDOs, Sk. Ishmael, Gangadhar Goud were present.
