19-Year-Old BTech Student Dies by Suicide in Anantapur District

Anantapur:A 19-year-old engineering student, identified as Charan from Goolyam village in Kambadur mandal of Anantapur district, died by suicide on Monday morning.

Charan, a first-year BTech student at a private college in Anantapur, was found hanging from a tree in an agricultural field in his village. He had recently participated in a village festival and played cricket with friends, villagers said.

On Monday morning, locals noticed his body hanging from a tree in the field and alerted the family and police. Kambadur police reached the spot and shifted the body for post-mortem examination.

A case has been registered based on a complaint lodged by the parents, and further investigation is under way.

Special court awards 5-year jail term in POCSO case within six months

Anantapur:A Pocso case in Satya Sai district was disposed of within six months, with the special court awarding imprisonment to the accused and compensation to the minor victim.

The Pocso Special Court sentenced the accused to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and ordered payment of ₹75,000 as compensation to the victim. The verdict was pronounced on Monday.

According to sources, Narasimhulu (40) of Guttakinda Palli allegedly misbehaved with a four-year-old girl from Gotlur village in Dharmavaram rural mandal on May 5 this year. A case was registered against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

After examining the evidence and proving the charges, POCSO Special Court Judge Chinnababu convicted the accused and imposed a fine of `6,000, in addition to the prison term. The court also directed that `75,000 be paid as compensation to the victim.

Satya Sai district superintendent of police Sathis Kumar said the case was solved and justice delivered within six months of the incident. He appreciated the police team for expediting the investigation and ensuring swift justice for the victim.

Crime in Bapatla district drops over 15% in 2025

Vijayawada:Bapatla district recorded a 15.33 per cent decline in overall crime in 2025, reflecting significant reductions in violent offences, crimes against women, cybercrime and narcotics-related cases, according to data released by the police during the annual crime review meeting held on Monday.

The district registered 5,285 cases in 2025, down from 6,242 cases in 2024, superintendent of police B. Uma Maheswar said. Bodily offences declined from 922 cases in 2024 to 749 in 2025, while property offences reduced marginally from 416 to 387 cases.

However, the value of property lost increased from ₹3.81 crore in 2024 to ₹5.34 crore in 2025, police said.

Crimes against women fell from 582 cases in 2024 to 538 in 2025, while POCSO cases declined sharply from 63 to 41 during the same period.

Road accident cases, however, rose from 522 in 2024 to 542 in 2025, emerging as an area of concern. In contrast, cybercrime cases registered a sharp decline, falling from 91 cases in 2024 to 57 in 2025.

The police recorded a significant improvement in case disposal and convictions. In 2024, 1,359 cases were disposed of with 440 convictions, while in 2025, disposals surged to 4,088 cases, resulting in 1,319 convictions.

Cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act declined sharply, with only five cases in 2025, compared to 15 in 2024. Arrests under NDPS cases dropped from 66 to 20 during the same period.

In terms of seizures, police confiscated 67.635 kg of dry ganja in 2025, up from 48.53 kg in 2024. No liquid ganja or synthetic drugs were seized in either year. Vehicles seized in NDPS cases declined from four in 2024 to one in 2025.

As part of disaster response and emergency preparedness, police teams established 138 relief and rehabilitation centres and evacuated over 7,000 people to safer locations. They also cleared 383 fallen trees, 36 hoardings and 127 electric poles within 20 to 30 minutes to ensure road connectivity.

The district police also carried out a crackdown on two-wheeler thefts across multiple police stations. Three accused were arrested, and 60 stolen two-wheelers worth ₹21.2 lakh were seized. In a separate operation conducted in the past week, 60 more bikes valued at ₹40 lakh were recovered.

Overall Crime Trend: Total Cases (2025): 5,285, Total Cases (2024): 6,242

Bodily Offences: 2024: 922, 2025: 749

Property Offences: 2024: 416, 2025: 387

Property Lost (2025): Rs 5.34 crore

Property Recovered (2025): Rs 3.62 crore

Crimes Against Women: 2024: 582, 2025: 538

POCSO Cases: 2024: 63, 2025: 41

Road Accidents: 2024: 522, 2025: 542

Cyber Crime: 2024: 91 cases, 2025: 57 cases

Court Disposal & Convictions

Cases Disposed: 2024: 1,359, 2025: 4,088

Convictions: 2024: 440, 2025: 1,319

NDPS Cases: 2024: 15, 2025: 5

Arrests: 2024: 66, 2025: 20

Seizures:

Dry Ganja: 2024: 48.53 kg, 2025: 67.635 kg

Vehicles Seized: 2024: 4, 2025: 1

Cyclone Montha – Rescue Operations

Rehabilitation Centres: 138

People Evacuated: 7,000+

Lives Saved: 25

Rapid Clearances

383 fallen trees

36 hoardings

127 electric poles

Digital Arrest & Fake Website Scam

Fake AP tourism & temple portals: Accused Arrested: 2 (Rajasthan)

Rs 1.10 crore fraud (Retired Doctor): Accused arrested in 1 week

Rs 74 lakh fraud (Retired Professor): Nationwide-first detection

Rs 1.19 crore fraud (Retired District Judge): Rs 1.06 crore frozen & refunded

Rs 2+ crore extortion (Retired Head Master): Multi-state gang busted

Two-Wheeler Theft Crackdown: Accused Arrested: 3, Recovered: 60 bikes worth Rs 21.2 lakh

AP forms 24-member task force to curb contagious diseases

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a 24-member state-level Special Task Force to prevent and control contagious diseases across the state.

In a statement issued here on Monday, minister for health Satya Kumar Yadav said the task force was formed on the directions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Health commissioner G. Veerapandian has been appointed chairman of the panel.

The task force will initiate coordinated measures to prevent and control communicable diseases such as dengue, malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, leprosy and other seasonal infections. It will focus on surveillance, early detection, inter-departmental coordination and timely intervention to reduce disease spread and improve public health outcomes.