A 27-year-old man accused of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in Andhra Pradesh's Annamayya district was found dead in a tank, suspected to be suicide after escaping police custody. Police arrested him on Tuesday, and his body was discovered on Wednesday morning. The state home minister stated that the accused was addicted to drugs.
In Andhra Pradesh's Annamayya district, a seven-year-old girl went missing on Sunday. Her family filed a missing person complaint on Monday morning. Police reviewed CCTV footage across the town, which showed a 27-year-old man living opposite the victim's house luring the child into his residence.
On Tuesday morning, officers arrived at the suspect's home and discovered the minor's body hidden inside a water storage drum. The accused, present at the scene, was immediately taken into custody. District Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kunubilli stated that the man escaped while being transported to the police station in a Rakshak police vehicle. Three special teams were formed to conduct an extensive search.
On Wednesday morning, information led police to a body floating in the Kanasanipalle village tank. Upon retrieval, relatives identified it as the prime accused in the rape and murder case. Preliminary investigations suggest he jumped into the tank and died by suicide. The body was shifted to Madanapalle government hospital for post-mortem.
SP Kunubilli remarked, "Maybe the accused was afraid of getting exposed and hence died by suicide." He confirmed the girl had been sexually assaulted by the accused before being murdered and concealed in the drum.
State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said, "The government has taken serious note of the incident. According to the information we received, the accused was addicted to drugs and he might have committed the crime under the influence of narcotics." Further inquiries are ongoing.
