Andhra Constable, Home Guard ‘Rape Woman After Spiking Her Drink’, Case Filed

Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh – In a shocking breach of trust, authorities in Chittoor district have taken into custody a local police constable and a home guard accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 28-year-old woman who had sought their assistance, officials confirmed Thursday.

The incident, which unfolded at Punganur police station, has sparked outrage over alleged delays in addressing the victim’s pleas for help. According to the survivor’s account, Constable Umashankar and Home Guard Kiran Kumar offered her a beverage laced with sedatives during her visit. Once under the influence, they allegedly subjected her to repeated sexual assaults and issued dire threats against her family’s safety.

“They warned that they would harm her three young children if she breathed a word about the ordeal,” a police source revealed, echoing the woman’s detailed testimony.

Compounding the trauma, the home guard is said to have bombarded the survivor with persistent harassing calls in the aftermath, further intimidating her. Despite her desperate efforts to file a formal complaint at multiple police outposts, she encountered a wall of inaction for almost two weeks. Frustrated and fearful, the woman turned to the media in a public plea for intervention, which ultimately prompted swift action.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Degala Prabhakar of Palamaner division told reporters that Bangarupalyam police had promptly lodged a case under applicable legal provisions following her televised appeal. “Her courageous step in the public eye forced our hand, and we have now initiated a thorough probe,” Prabhakar stated.

The arrests mark a grim chapter in law enforcement’s duty to protect the vulnerable, as investigators delve deeper into the allegations. The case, registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code including those for rape, criminal intimidation, and administering stupefying substances, underscores systemic lapses that allowed the abuse to fester unchecked.

As the inquiry progresses, community leaders and women’s rights advocates have called for stringent measures against internal misconduct within police ranks. The survivor, meanwhile, continues to seek solace amid the fallout, her story a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who turn to guardians of the law for refuge.