Dalit student assaulted in Andhra after Pawan Kalyan calls out rising crime

Less than 24 hours after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan appealed for swift investigations into crimes against women, a Dalit student was brutally assaulted on her way home from school in Tirupati.

In Short

• Class 10 student assaulted by two men while returning home from school
• Attackers arrested by police while girl undergoing treatment in hospital
• Police clarify girl is alive, says social media spreading fake news

Hours after Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan called for fast-tracked investigations into crimes of rape and murder, another incident of sexual assault occurred in the state, in Tirupati.

The crime occurred on Monday, November 5, in Yerravaripalem when a Dalit student of Class 10 was assaulted by two unidentified men while on her way home from school in the afternoon. The girl is currently hospitalised in Tirupati, where medical professionals are collecting samples as part of the investigation into this crime.

Preliminary reports indicate that the assailants attacked the girl with a knife and forced her to consume alcohol before assaulting her. Tirupati Superintendent of Police Subbarayudu provided updates on the case, clarifying that the girl was first taken to a primary health centre due to her status as a minor. “Last night, we shifted her to Tirupati Maternity for medical tests,” he confirmed. He also addressed the rampant misinformation about her death, circulating on social media, stating, “There is fake news being propagated that the girl was murdered. Some political parties are spreading misinformation that a murder took place.”

The police confirmed that the attackers were in custody. Clarifying that the police were conducting a thorough investigation, the SP said: “We are trying to ascertain whether the attackers were familiar with the child. We are investigating in all possible ways.”

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, in a rally on Monday at Pitapuram, had highlighted the growing crisis of safety for women and children in the state. He blamed the previous YSR Congress Party administration for the alarming rise in crimes against women and children.