Man arrested for raping his underage stepdaughter

Tirupati: The Thotapalligudur police in Nellore district have arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of abducting and repeatedly raping his minor stepdaughter over a period of two days.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Ch. Soujanya, the victim’s mother P. Shanti, a daily wage labourer from Venkannapalem in TP Gudur mandal, had divorced her first husband and married Kommi Mallikarjuna of Kanigiri mandal in Prakasam district three years ago.

Due to marital disputes, Shanti separated from Mallikarjuna and was living separately with her children. On June 29, the accused lured his stepdaughter and took her away. Her mother lodged a complaint with TP Gudur police on June 30.

Subsequently, the police formed a special team under the supervision of Nellore Town and Rural DSP, CI and TP Gudur SI Jampani Kumar. Based on technical evidence, the team tracked down the accused in a forest area of ​​the Balli Panchayat. They rescued the minor girl and brought her back with her mother.

Investigations revealed that the accused lured the girl away from her school in Mahalakshmipuram on June 29. He took her to a remote forest area on his motorcycle. That night and on two other occasions, he sexually abused her. Police arrested Mallikarjuna on Thursday, citing various sections, including the POCSO Act.