Andhra Pradesh Police Arrest Nearly 80 People for Rape of Minor Girl in Guntur

The police said that 74 have been arrested so far and six of the accused are absconding.

A still from an anti-rape protest. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo Courtesy: Pinterest/Screenshot)

The Andhra Pradesh police on Tuesday, 19 April, arrested 10 more people for the rape of a 13-year-old-girl over the past eight months in Guntur district, taking the total arrests to 74 people so far, The Times of India reported.

80 people have been booked for the rape of the minor, who was rescued by the police two days ago. Several arrests were made after she narrated her ordeal to the police.

The main accused in the case is a woman identified as Swarna Kumari who had befriended and ‘adopted’ the minor after her biological mother passed away due to COVID-19 in 2021.

The girl was later forced into prostitution in different brothels in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the past few months.

The girl's father lodged a missing complaint with the police in August, after which the cops swung into action. The first arrest was made in January and since then the police intensified the investigation, with the maximum number of accused arrested during the last few days, reported IANS.

According to police, the 74 people arrested include kingpins of a prostitution racket, pimps and customers. Guntur police are on the lookout for six other accused, one of whom is reportedly in London.

As many as 35 prostitution organisers were among those arrested.

Police have seized a car, 53 cell phones, three autorickshaws and three bikes in the case, according to IANS.

(With inputs from The Times of India and IANS.)