A pregnant woman was allegedly gang-raped by three people, including a child in conflict with the law, after her husband was beaten up at the railway station in Repalle town, about 80 kms from here, on Saturday midnight. The three accused were arrested, said Bapatla district Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal on Sunday.
The couple, migrant farm workers hailing from Prakasam district, reached Repalle Railway Station by train from Guntur en route to Nagayalanka in neighbouring Krishna district at around 11.30 PM on Saturday. While they were asleep on the platform, the three, who were in an inebriated condition, woke the husband up and asked him what was the time.
As he did not have a watch, the husband did not reply. "The assailants then beat him up and snatched Rs 750 in cash from him. They hit the woman as well and sexually assaulted her," the SP told reporters. The man ran out of the station and went to the local police station for help. As the police approached the railway station, the assailants fled, Jindal added.
The victim was immediately taken to a community health centre for treatment. A sniffer dog led the police to a nearby place where one of the assailants had changed his shirt. "Based on the clue, we further investigated and traced the assailants to a locality in Repalle, where they were arrested this afternoon," the SP said.
The child in conflict with law was previously an accused in three theft cases, Jindal pointed out. The Government Railway Police (GRP) stationed in Repalle, sources said, did not respond when the victim’s husband first approached them, forcing him to run outside the station to seek the help of the town police.
Meanwhile, chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission V Padma, expressing anguish over the incident, sought a detailed report on it.
Opposition parties said the incident exposed the growing lawlessness in the State, particularly increasing attacks on women.
“Everyday, there is a rape or a murder in some parts of the State. The gang-rape at the Repalle Railway Sstation again exposed the lack of safety for women,” MLC and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh said in a statement.
Chairman of Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee Nadendla Manohar also expressed anguish over the incident and said it reflected the deteriorating law and order situation. “The Chief Minister is silent over growing instances of attack on women," said Manohar, a former Speaker of the Assembly.
