A third-year engineering student was stabbed to death in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur city on Sunday. The incident – caught on CCTV – has led to a huge uproar. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister M Sucharita rushed to the Government General Hospital, where the body was taken, and expressed shock over the incident.
Later in the night, state Director General of Police DG Sawang said the accused in the case has been arrested. “The local people provide crucial clues that led to the arrest of the accused. Also, the CCTV camera footage helped us identify the accused,” he said in a statement.
TDP general secretary and MLC (member of legislative council) Nara Lokesh said that the Dalit student’s murder took place around the time when the Chief Minister, in his Independence Day address, was talking about the safety for women under his rule.
Jana Sena chief K Pawan Kalyan said the murder of engineering student was “sorrowful.” A series of such attacks on girl students and women reflected the government’s failure in taking effective steps to curb them. “This government lacks sincerity in preventing attacks on women. There is no point making shallow laws,” Mr Kalyan said, referring to the Disha Bill that the Centre rejected.
According to the police, the student was walking on the Kakani Road when a youth approached her on his bike. When she refused to ride along, he argued. “The attacker then took out a knife and stabbed her repeatedly on the neck and the stomach and fled the scene. Locals rushed to the spot and immediately removed the profusely bleeding girl to hospital,” a police official said.
She, however, died of her injuries at the hospital. Guntur Urban Superintendent of Police Arif Hafeez visited the crime scene. “Despite having tough laws… how to punish such psychopaths? Only capital punishment seems appropriate for such monsters,” the Home Minister remarked, after visiting the hospital.
She said the student’s parents and friends were also being questioned for possible clues.
