Hyderabad: A fast track special court has sentenced security guard Keela Dharma Rao, son of Bairagi, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in a child sexual assault case registered at Miyapur police station in Cyberabad. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on the 40-year-old accused. It convicted him in Cr.No. 834/2021 under Section 376(AB) of the IPC and Sections 5 read with 6 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
Sri T. Srinivas, Fast Track Special Judge for Trial and Disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Cases, RR District at Rajendranagar, delivered the verdict. The judge also awarded compensation of ₹3,00,000 to the victim. Investigating officer S. Krishna Prasad, ACP of Miyapur Division, and Additional Public Prosecutor Sri B. Venkateshwar Reddy worked to secure the conviction during the trial.
The case began on 5 July 2021, when the complainant reported that her five-year-old daughter had returned home crying after a visit to a kirana shop. The girl told her that an unknown man had followed her into their apartment building at Marthandanagar in Miyapur. According to the complaint, he took her near the lift, removed her innerwear and inserted his finger into her private parts. Police registered a case at Miyapur police station on the complaint.
During the investigation, police examined the scene of the offence and recorded witness statements. They also retrieved CCTV footage from the building, which clearly captured the accused’s actions. Doctors at Niloufer Hospital examined the victim and preserved vaginal swabs and nail clippings, which police later forwarded to the FSL.
Identification parade and medical opinion
An age determination test at the Area Hospital in Malkajgiri confirmed that the victim was five to six years old. Officials later held a Test Identification Parade at the District Jail in Kandi, where both the victim and a witness identified the accused. The medical officer’s final opinion, based on the clinical examination and FSL reports, said the possibility of sexual assault could not be ruled out.
Police arrested the accused on 17 August 2021. He is a resident of Anjaiahnagar in Gachibowli, Serilingampally, RR District, and a native of Palasa in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Officers filed a charge sheet after completing the investigation, and the case went to a full-fledged trial.