Nellore: Relative held ear studs, Rs 4,000 seized

Nellore: Venkatachalam police arrested a 34-year-old man on the charges of attacking a minor girl (his relative) with toilet cleaning acid and attempting to kill her to steal gold ornaments and cash.

Disclosing this to the mediapersons at Umesh Chandra Conference Hall here on Wednesday, District SP Ch Vijaya Rao said police seized ear studs, cash of Rs 4,000 and a knife from the accused.

He said the accused Nellore Nagaraju attacked the girl in Nellore for money as he was addicted to vices.

Nagaraju attacked the girl with acid used for cleaning toilets and tried to slit her throat with a knife used for cutting vegetables to steal money and valuables from the house. The SP said Nagaraju is nephew of the victim's father Rajagagoal and they hail from the same place.

The girl is studying ninth standard in a government school in the locality. Rajagopal and his wife work in a local private firm.

"In a bid to make easy money to come out of debts, Nagaraju has plotted to steal valuables from the house of the victim. He visited the girl's house continuously for five days in the absence of her parents. On Monday, as usual, her parents left the house for work and the girl was alone at home as she was ill,' the SP said.

The accused brought a bottle of acid, a steel plate and a knife along with him and then poured the acid in a plate. Further, he dipped a cloth in the acid and sprinkled it on the girl's face and hands. Then the accused robbed gold ear studs from her and slit her throat with a knife.

Nagaraju thought that the girl died due to injuries and took away cash of Rs 4,000 from the almirah inside the house. After some time, the girl who regained consciousness alerted her neighbours through gestures. The accused took to his heels before the neighbours could reach the house and inform her parents. The victim was first admitted to the Government General Hospital for treatment and then shifted to a private hospital in Nellore city. Later, she was shifted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai for better treatment.

A team led by Circle Inspector G Gangadhar Rao, Sub-Inspector Nancharaiah and other staff members rushed to the spot and inquired about the incident. Based on the complaint lodged by the victim's father, a case was registered against Nellore Nagaraju and he was arrested at his house in Chemudugunta panchayat in Venkatachalam mandal on Wednesday.

A case under POCSO Act-2012 was registered against the accused at Venkatachalam PS. Additional SP (Crimes) K Chowdeswari, Nellore rural DSP Y Harinath Reddy and others were present.