Telangana Home Minister asks police to take steps to nab accused in minor girl rape and murder incident soon

Telangana Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali on Wednesday asked police officials to take steps to apprehend the accused in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl here as soon as possible and take further measures as per law, even as opposition Congress, BJP and others stepped up attack on the TRS government over the incident.

Ali, who held a meeting with DGP Mahendar Reddy and other senior police officials, enquired about the progress of the case and and the action taken for apprehending the accused, an official statement said.

The Home Minister told the police officials that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is serious about the incident and instructed that speedy measures be taken to arrest the culprit.

''After the meeting, the minister said that Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao felt very sad about the incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured the family of extending all help and support from the state government,'' it said.

The government is keen that the accused is apprehended and investigation completed promptly, charge sheet is filed and the accused tried before a court of law, Ali said. He cited the example of an accused in the rape and murder of a minor girl in Warangal being awarded death sentence by a trial court in a very short period.

State Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod said she has been in touch with the police officials every day since the day the incident happened (on the evening of September 9) and that police teams have been on the job to locate the accused.

Meanwhile, the Congress, BJP, Jana Sena and other opposition parties on Wednesday intensified attack on the TRS government over the rape and murder of the girl at Saidabad here. Alleging that crimes against women have increased in Telangana, state Congress president and MP A Revanth Reddy said it is because of the rise in liquor sales and consumption of narcotic substances among youth.

He took exception to state Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao correcting his previous tweet that the accused had been arrested.

He asked whether the official who misinformed the minister should be removed from service or not.

The Hyderabad Police has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh to any person who gives information/clue leading arrest of the absconding accused.

BJP spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao alleged that Rama Rao's tweet ''declaring the arrest of the accused and his subsequent retraction points at the utter confusion that prevails in TRS government.'' Home Minister Mahmood Ali ''is missing in action, as always'', he alleged.

Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party leader Pawan Kalyan met the family of the deceased girl here and consoled them.

He urged the TRS government to depute members of the Cabinet to meet the bereaved parents.

Jana Sena would stand by the family till the culprit is handed out appropriate punishment, Kalyan, younger brother of top actor Chiranjeevi, said.

YSR Telangana Party leader Y S Sharmila, sister of AP Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, also expressed anguish over the incident and demanded that the state government take concrete measures to ensure justice to the victim.