Woman raped in Andhra hospital; cops suspended

Two police officers were on Friday suspended for negligence in connection with the alleged gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on the premises of a government hospital in Andhra Pradesh’s NTR district, officials familiar with the matter said.

The survivor is differently abled and went missing on April 19, when her parents approached the police, an official added. Police said all three accused have been arrested.

According to the police, the incident took place on April 19, when the main accused, who worked at the hospital on a contractual basis, called the survivor for a meeting on the pretext of getting her a job. “He confined the woman to a room and sexually assaulted her. Later, he called his colleagues who raped her over the next two days…,” police commissioner T Kanthi Rana Tata said.

The survivor’s parents, meanwhile, said they had lodged a missing person’s complaint on April 20 and expressed suspicion over the main accused, who used to visit their house, but police delayed action.

Amid outrage, chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday ordered suspension of inspector JRK Haneesh Babu and sub-inspector Srinivasa Rao, and announced ₹10 lakh aid to the woman’s family.