Hyderabad man, accused of raping and murdering 6-year-old, found dead
Pallakonda Raju, the accused in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Hyderabad, was found dead on railway tracks this morning, the police confirmed. The incident took place around 9:45 am at the Ghanpur railway station in Telangana, reports said. He had been absconding since September 9, the day the rape-murder was reported. Here are more details on this.
Accused jumped in front of a moving train
Police confirmed the body recovered on Thursday was that of the rape-murder accused. "I am told that the police were chasing him and not heeding to the warning, he jumped in front of a train. Once all details are ascertained, it will be shared with the media," Hyderabad East Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ramesh told The News Minute.
Telangana Police DGP tweeted these pictures
6-year-old was sexually assaulted, killed last week
The six-year-old victim was sexually assaulted and murdered on September 9 in Singareni Colony of Saidabad. The body of the girl was found in Raju's house after midnight, sparking protests across the city. Several teams comprising hundreds of policemen were constituted to find the accused. Police also released his pictures and announced a reward of Rs. 10 lakh on information leading to his arrest.
Minister and others had called for accused's 'encounter'
The news of Raju's death comes two days after Telangana Labour Minister Malla Reddy commented that he "will be killed in an encounter." "We will catch the rapist and murderer. There will be an encounter after he is caught," he said on Tuesday. The state's Congress chief Revanth Reddy had made a similar claim. "We will definitely arrest him and will do the encounter."
Family receives Rs. 20 lakh compensation from government
The incident has triggered anger among people and reignited painful memories about the 2019 Disha gang-rape and murder case. On Thursday, Telangana Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod and Home Minister Mahmud Ali visited the victim's family and handed over a cheque of Rs. 20 lakh as ex-gratia compensation on behalf of the government. Other politicians and leaders have also visited the family.
