The Chittoor Rural West police on Thursday night arrested a 55-year-old man, Kesavulu, on charges of molesting a nine-year-old girl at a hamlet near Irala mandal headquarters and rescued the girl.
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According to information, the accused, a farm worker, allegedly lured the girl on the pretext of getting her eatables and took her to his house. Another girl, who grew suspicious on seeing the accused taking the victim into his house, alerted the girl’s grandmother.
The grandmother shook her mobile phone, into which the Disha App was downloaded by a volunteer a couple of days ago. In three minutes, a police party from Irala rushed to the hamlet and rescued the girl, and took the accused into custody.
Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar said that the Disha SOS App had proved to be a very effective deterrent against crime against women. Appreciating the Irala police, the called upon the Mahila police and the field staff at villages to intensify awareness on importance of the Disha App. “In the Irala incident, our constables had responded in a record three minutes. In another case earlier, the Disha team responded in four minutes at B.Kothakota,” the SP said.
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The Irala police who arrested the accused under the POCSO Act had sent him for remand on Friday.
Youth attempts suicide in police station
In another incident, a 25 year old youth, Gangireddy, allegedly attempted suicide by slitting his throat in a police station at Ramasamudram mandal headquarters, 80 km from here, on Friday.
According to information, the youth, a native of Ragimakulapalle panchayat of the mandal, was detained by the police for questioning over charges of sexual harassment of a woman in the village. The youth allegedly pulled out a knife from his pocket suddenly and allegedly slit his throat.
The police shifted him to Government Area Hospital at Madanapalle, where his condition is said to be serious.