Rape victim gets Rs 10 lakh ex gratia, main accused gets lifer in Telangana

HYDERABAD: In a first in Telangana state, a rape victim from SC community was awarded Rs 10 lakh compensation by the special POCSO court for Ranga Reddy district at LB Nagar here on Wednesday. It found both accused, incidentally father and son, guilty in the 2017 heinous crime at Chaitanyapuri under Rachakonda Commissionerate limits.

The accused are Medipally Bharath Kumar Reddy, a law student then, and his father Medipally Sudhakar Reddy, an advocate. Bharat Kumar was sentenced for life and slapped a fine of Rs 2.69 lakh while Sudhakar was sentenced to five years RI and a fine of Rs 2.39 lakh.

The girl, who worked as a maid in their house, was sexually assaulted by the father and his son.

The court delivered the verdict based on the statements of the survivor, her parents, a female social worker, who rescued her from the accused and reported the matter to the police. Medical evidence, reports from the FSL and also her caste certificate resulted in the accused getting convicted.

Police said the girl, then 16, was forced to work in inhuman conditions, harassed, beaten up and was even deprived of basic food. She was not allowed to speak to her parents, who stay in Suryapet district.

An electrician working in the same apartment noticed the girl’s plight and alerted a social worker in the area, who reported the matter to the police. The two were booked under Pocso Act, prevention of Atrocities against SCs & STs, Prevention of Bonded Child Labour and Juvenile Justice Act.