A 19-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by a gang of four men, which included an Army man, at Vemuru village near Tenali in the early hours of Saturday.
The girl is a native of Kolluru who works in a photostat shop in her village. Late Friday night, she was waiting with a friend, a 25-year-old man, at the Vemuru railway station to board a train to Repalle when four men on motorcycles accosted them.
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The men, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition, were accompanied by a woman. The Army man flashed his ID card, claiming to be policeman.
The group threatened the woman’s friend and two of them dragged her into nearby fields and raped her while the other two accused drove away with the woman.
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The girl’s friend, Rajesh, dialled 100 from his mobile phone and the call was routed to Vemuru sub-inspector Pavan, who was patrolling the area. The SI reached the spot and found the victim along with two men.
Meanwhile, the other two men who had left with their woman companion returned to the spot but escaped whey they saw the police.
Two on the run
Police said the name of the Army man involved in the case is Rathamasetty Sudhakar (39). The other accused with him is Adusumilli Venkateswara Rao (26). Police are on the lookout for the two who fled. Tenali Deputy Superintendent of Police M. Sowjanya said Army Headquarters will be informed about the complaint against Sudhakar. He is a native of Vemuru, married and had come on a leave. The other three men are his friends.
The officer said cases have been registered against the accused under Section 170 IPC (impersonation of police), 366 IPC (kidnap), sections 3 and 5 of the Prevention of Atrocities Act (SC & ST Act) and Section 376 (D) of the Nirbhaya Act.
The accused were produced before a magistrate at Tenali on Saturday evening and sent to 14 days in of judicial remand.
The victim was sent for a medical examination at the Tenali Area Hospital.
Nirbhaya Act slapped on the accused