HYDERABAD: Telangana police on Sunday have arrested one more accused ( a minor), making it a total of four arrests in connection with the alleged gang rape of a teenage girl on May 28.

As per an official statement released by the Deputy Commissioner of Police - Hyderabad West Zone out of the four, three are juveniles and the fourth accused is a major. The fifth accused Umer Khan is yet to be arrested. The three juveniles (Child in Conflict with law or CCL) will be produced before the Juvenile Court for their safe custody.

One accused, who was arrested on Friday, has been identified as Saduddin Malik(18), a resident of Puppalaguda in Manikonda. The police had seized the SUV car in which the crime was committed. However, the police are yet to officially confirm the seizure of the vehicle. The minor girl was allegedly gang-raped when she was returning home after a party at the Amnesia Pub in the upmarket Jubilee Hills area on May 28. After the crime, the accused were said to have stayed at a farmhouse that belonged to a political leader at Moinabad on the city outskirts. The SUV was also traced at Moinabad.

The minor girl’s father submitted a complaint to the police on May 31 regarding the incident of rape after the girl shared her ordeal with her family members. The police registered a case under Cr.No.295/2022 U/s 376(D) 323 IPC R/w 5 R/w 6 and Section 9 read with 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused have been identified as follows

A1 Saduddin Malik- AIMIM leader’s son

A2 Umer Khan- MLA’s brother’s son (absconding)

Minor-1 Wakf Board Chairman’s son

Minor-2 AIMIM Corporaters son

Minor-3 Son of Sangareddy Municipal Co-option member

Meanwhile the apex child rights body NCPCR has sought an explanation from the Hyderabad police over the delay in the registration of an FIR in connection with the case. The Commission has observed that since the incident allegedly/reportedly took place on 28.05.2022 (Saturday), the FIR in the said incident has been lodged on 31.05.2022, i.e. after three days of the incident. The delay in registering the FIR in the matter is a matter of concern. Reasons thereof may be furnished and action against the concerned errant official should also be taken and appraised to the Commission," the NCPCR said in a letter to the Hyderabad police on Friday.

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