In Nagarpalem village of Andhra Pradesh’s district of Guntur a 46-year-old woman was stripped and assaulted following a dispute over a borewell and water supply, the state government says.
The victim and the accused were neighbours, the police said. The dispute began after the municipality carried out drainage expansion works that damaged a borewell located outside the accused’s home. When the accused tried to rebuild the borewell, the victim objected, and the two became angry.
The situation soon turned into violence, the police said. The woman was dragged out of her house by the accused and physically assaulted, they said.
Following the complaint, the Nagarpalem police filed a First Information Report (FIR) and arrested three accused Mallela Venkata Ramana Murthy, Sampurna and Tirupati Durga.
According to reports, Mallela Venkata Ramana Murthy was the secretary of Ward 21 in Guntur and was associated with the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Guntur Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal confirmed that the dispute was caused by the damaged borewell and their conflict over the subsequent dispute over reinstalling it. Police have started a detailed investigation to establish the full sequence of events.
The FIR has been registered under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of house trespass, outraging the modesty of a woman, insulting a woman’s dignity, voluntarily causing hurt, causing hurt with dangerous weapons, and joint criminal liability.
The incident also drew the immediate attention of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu who strongly condemned the attack.
In a public statement, the Chief Minister said that humiliation of any woman is totally unacceptable and has no place in society. He promised that officials must take action against those who would be in the wrong and that no individual will ever be protected based on his/her political beliefs.
A 46-year-old woman was stripped and assaulted following a dispute over water supply in a village in Nagarpalem of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh.
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The police have arrested three accused, Mallela Venkata Ramana Murthy, Sampurna and Tirupati Durga, in connection with the case.… https://t.co/1c4CeSshEb pic.twitter.com/f7PzAmpnUJ
Following the incident, Andhra Pradesh Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh announced that Mallela Venkata Ramana Murthy has been suspended from all party posts until further investigation.
The case has generated wide social media discussion on the case and many people have voiced strong calls for strong punishment for the accused and stronger safety measures to protect women in the state.
The investigation will be fair and legal procedures will be followed. The case will be closely followed and the police will collect evidence and record witness statements.
A community clash of such magnitude must be peacefully resolved and women must have laws protecting them against domestic violence and harassment enforced at all times.
