‘Gang-rape’: Search continues to find 9-year-old girl’s body from canal in Andhra Pradesh’s Nandyal

Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh), July 13

Andhra Pradesh police are searching for the body of the nine-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and pushed into a canal here by three minor boys, said an official on Saturday.

On 7 July evening, the three boys allegedly gang-raped the girl who was last seen playing in a park and then pushed her into the Mucchumarri Lift Irrigation Canal in Nandyal district.

“We are yet to trace the girl’s body. We are still searching. One National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are searching as well,” the official told PTI.

According to police, up to 70 NDRF and SDRF personnel are searching for the girl’s body.

A senior official observed that the three minor boys have “confessed” to raping the girl but noted that it is important to find the body and scientifically prove the offence.

“They have confessed, and we have the confession statement also. If the body is found then the prosecution side will get a conviction easily. That is a major thing,” the official said.

Besides the NDRF and SDRF teams, five police investigation teams have also been deployed to crack the case.

Police are also tapping technical data to check if anybody else is involved in the crime.

Two of the accused are 15 years old, while the other one is 12 years old. They are all from the same Mucchumarri village and knew each other, police said.