Highlights
- Her body was found on railway track in Secunderabad's cantonment area
- CCTV footage shows a man carrying her away from a liquor-selling outlet
- 30-year-old suspect recently released after serving one-year jail term
A convicted sexual offender walked out of jail and within 24 hours, allegedly raped and murdered a 10-year-old in Hyderabad. Angry activists say it is a failure of the law and order machinery that they did not put him away in the 19 cases pending against him.
On July 1, 30-year-old Anil walked out of jail. On July 2, he was drinking at what is called a 'toddy compound' where he spotted a 10-year-old child. He offered her toffees and took her out of sight of her parents, walked one and a half kilometers with her to an isolated place, raped and murdered the 10-year-old child when she screamed in pain, said police.
CCTV footage shows him luring the child and carrying her away. Hours later, her body was found on a railway track, with head smashed.
Sumathi, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad's North Zone, said they had found enough forensic evidence to get him convicted. Also, there was his case history.
"He was in jail in Medak district Sangareddy jail on one year rigorous imprisonment for a murder attempt in a very similar case. He is a habitual offender. There are 19 cases against him and this is his second sexual assault and murder of a minor," said the DCP.
Women activists came to the police headquarters in Secunderabad demanding instant justice. The police promised to fast-track the case and assured them there was enough evidence to nail the alleged serial rapist in court, and put him away.
There was also a candlelight vigil by some people in the locality. Public anger manifested in the form of demand for extra-constitutional execution of this man who is said to have committed several offences and in fact was acquitted in 2015 in a very similar case of rape and murder of a minor girl two years before that.
Activist Sunitha Krishnan points out that this is a classic case to support the argument for a sex offenders register. "The government agreed in court on the need for such a register but since the case in Supreme Court, they have not taken any initiative, even though they can act independently as well," she said.