Andhra Pradesh: Two Miscreants Arrested For Sexually Assaulting 27-Year-Old Lithuanian Woman In Nellore

According to police, I Sai Kumar, 26, and Sheikh Abid, 28, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody

Hyderabad: On International Women's Day, when the whole world commemorates women for their achievements on the cultural, and socioeconomic front, two miscreants in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district made an attempt to sexually assault a 27-year-old Lithuanian woman.

Sydapuram Police in the Nellore district arrested two youth who tried to sexually assault the foreign national. According to police, I Sai Kumar, 26, and Sheikh Abid, 28, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody.

The tourist from the European nation had arrived in India from Sri Lanka on March 7. After reaching Chennai, she travelled to Bengaluru by bus. During the journey, Sai Kumar helped her by paying the bus fare in Indian currency as she had only dollars with her. He took dollars worth Rs 5,000 from the woman and took her to his village Venkanapalem in Nellore district promising to return the remaining money there.

On reaching the village, Sai Kumar informed his friend Abid about the foreign tourist. They took her around the Sydapuram area on a two-wheeler. The accused later took her to a forest area along Rapuru road, where they tried to molest her. She resisted the attempt and ran onto the road seeking help. Some passers-by helped her reach Sydapuram police station.

Sydapuram Circle Inspector Srinivasulu Reddy said that they identified the accused with the video recording in the victim's mobile phone and also on the basis of the Aadhaar and PAN card which Sai Kumar had given to the Lithuanian national before taking the money.

Within four hours of the woman lodging the complaint, police arrested the accused. Both were booked under 354-A and 323 of the Indian Penal Code. A local court sent both the accused to judicial custody.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted, "Shocked to learn about the rape attempt on a foreigner woman in Nellore dist. It is disgusting to find out that the woman was betrayed on the pretext of offering help. The perpetrators of the heinous crime must be speedily brought to justice and punished."

He demanded that the perpetrators of the heinous crime be speedily brought to justice and punished. "Two such incidents in Nellore dist, that too on International Women's Day lays bare the dangerous conditions prevailing in Andhra Pradesh for women," he further tweeted.

"I request the Police Dept to focus on controlling the rising crime against women in the State instead of wasting time to harass Opposition leaders & party workers with fake, petty cases," he concluded in a thread comprising of three tweets. 

(With inputs from IANS)