A man accused of raping and murdering a minor girl allegedly died by suicide after jumping into a village tank near Madanapalle town in Andhra Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred within hours of Madanapalle town police taking him into custody. Police said the accused, identified as Kulavardhan, escaped while being shifted from Madanapalle police station to another station as a precautionary measure, following apprehensions of attacks by protesters and the victim’s relatives.
According to Annamayya district superintendent of police Dheeraj Kunubilli, the decision to shift Kulavardhan was taken after large crowds gathered outside the police station demanding immediate justice.
“We feared the protesters could storm the police station or attack the accused. While we were shifting him, people obstructed the police vehicle, and our personnel were engaged in controlling the crowd. During this commotion, the accused jumped out of the police vehicle and fled,” the SP told reporters.
A few hours later, a local official from a nearby village alerted police about a body found in a water tank. Police rushed to the spot and identified the deceased as Kulavardhan. Preliminary inquiries suggested that he had died after jumping into the tank, they said.
Police said Kulavardhan was a drug and alcohol addict. He was taken into custody at around 7 am on Tuesday after officers found the body of the girl inside a drum at his house. While being taken into custody, the accused allegedly shouted that he raped and killed the girl and also threatened the victim’s parents, telling them he would come out of jail within three months and “see their end”.
His remarks angered the villagers, and a group of 50 people tried to attack him, prompting the police to enhance his security. Protests continued in Madanapalle demanding justice for the girl. After news of his death spread, people took to the streets, celebrated and showered milk on pictures of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. While police maintain that Kulavardhan died by suicide, sections of local residents described the incident as “spontaneous justice”.