Pressure Mounts on KCR Govt Over Hyderabad Rape Even as 2 Juveniles Arrested; Police Pulled up for Delayed FIR

Hyderabad: Two juveniles were apprehended on Saturday in the 17-year old girl gang-rape case, police said. The girl had visited the pub in the daytime before she was raped by five people, including three juveniles, on May 28. 

Out of the five accused already identified, an 18-year old man was arrested on June 3, and in total, three persons, including two juveniles, have been apprehended so far in the case, they said. The two juveniles would be produced before a juvenile court for their safe custody, police said in an official release. 

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has sought the registration of an FIR against a city pub for allowing entry to minors.

Amid allegations of involvement of kin of some political bigwigs in the teenage girl rape case, pressure mounted on Saturday on the state government to act swiftly, with the BJP demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and the Congress an all party meeting. 

While Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in an open letter to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, demanded a CBI probe to bring to book the culprits, opposition parties and women's rights organisations are gearing up to corner the government on the gang-rape case. 

Citing media reports, the BJP has already alleged the involvement of kin of politically influential persons belonging to the AIMIM, a friendly party of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Mallu Ravi, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee senior vice president and former MP, alleged that incidents of murder and sexual assaults against women are on the rise in the state.

Ravi, in a statement, demanded that the Telangana government convene an all-party meeting to discuss the law and order situation in the state. He alleged delay by police in taking action and inadequate response from the government in the case.

Party sources here said that the CPI(M) and the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), affiliated with it, have drawn up plans to organise protest demonstrations to seek justice. 

Further, the apex child rights body NCPCR has sought an explanation from the Hyderabad police over a three-day delay in the registration of the FIR in the case. It said that action should be taken against concerned errant officials.

According to police, the girl's father lodged a complaint on May 31 stating that she might have been molested but she could not disclose what happened as she was in a state of shock.

The Commission also asked the police to ensure that the victim's identity is not revealed during the investigation.