Man held for harassing minor in Andhra Pradesh; row over TDP link

According to Kakinada Police, Rao went to the girl’s government residential school posing as a distant relative and persuaded her to leave with him to “meet his family”. Instead, he allegedly took her on his scooter to a mango orchard in a nearby town.

There, the orchard owner and workers noticed his “suspicious behaviour” and raised an alarm while recording a video, prompting Rao to hastily drop the minor back at school, police said.

Once back, the student told her teachers about the incident, after which they helped her call her parents, who alerted the police. The orchard owner’s video helped trace the suspect, who was arrested on charges of kidnapping under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police urged people not to “politicise” the case and warned against sharing the video on social media. Meanwhile, the student’s parents held protests outside the school demanding strict action and questioning how the school allowed her to leave without permission.

The incident has snowballed into a political row, with YSRCP spokesperson A Shyamala accusing Rao of being a predator. The party also shared purported photos of him with TDP leaders.

“(NDA) coalition leaders can commit atrocities against women and children. Rao took the minor girl and attempted to rape her in Tuni. If we and people protest, TDP leaders threaten,” she said.

The TDP has not commented on Rao’s affiliation with the party, saying only that the suspect “holds no position in any of TDP’s wings.” It, however, condemned the incident as “shameful and unforgivable.”

“This government will not sit idly watching such actions. It will strictly punish [the culprit], regardless of their status or the party they belong to. If a crime is committed, whether by leaders or people, the punishment will be the same. Cases have already been registered and the accused has been arrested,” the TDP said in its statement.