Nine-month-old baby molested killed

Hanamkonda (Warangal Urban): The city woke up to a gruesome Wednesday with molestation and murder of a nine-month-old baby. In what is termed as a ghastly incident, a pervert youth allegedly killed an infant near Kumarpally here in the wee hours.

According to Commissioner of Police V Ravinder, the accused Polepaka Praveen (28), a native of Vasanthapur village under Shayampet mandal in Warangal Rural district, has been working as a cleaner in a hotel here. The accused picked up Srihitha when her mother and other relatives were fast asleep on the terrace of a three-storey building. Then he took the baby to a nearby secluded location where he allegedly molested her.

At around 2.30 am, the baby's mother found her daughter missing from the bed. She raised a clamour alerting her relatives and the neighbourhood. Her relatives also found a couple of their smart phones missing. Baby's relatives and the neighbourhood launched a manhunt.

Against this backdrop, baby's maternal uncle and others noticed the accused moving in the nearby locality suspiciously. There ensued a scuffle when they tried to get hold of the accused. Even though the accused tried to run away abandoning the baby who was wrapped in a towel, the locals apprehended him. They also gave a thrashing to Praveen before the police arrived at the scene.

Meanwhile, the relatives who found no movement in the baby took her to a nearby private hospital where she was declared brought dead. The police booked Praveen under sections 366, 302, 376AB and 379 of the IPC, besides Section 5(m) of the POCSO Act.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the Ashoka junction here when the deceased baby's relatives and general people in large numbers staged a protest demanding the accused to be handed capital punishment.