A shocking incident of attempted sexual assault on a minor girl from a social welfare residential school at Tuni in Kakinada district has triggered widespread outrage across Andhra Pradesh, landing the ruling Telugu Desam Party in an embarrassing situation.
According to reports, a man identified as Tatikina Narayana Rao, allegedly a local TDP leader and a former municipal councillor, attempted to assault a Class 8 student studying in the Tuni Rural Gurukulam school.
The incident came to light when a local youth filmed the suspect with the girl in a sapota orchard and confronted him — a video that has since gone viral.
The youth recorded the confrontation in which Narayana Rao claimed to be the girl’s grandfather to take her out of the school. When questioned, Narayana Rao also threatened the youth, saying he was a municipal councillor.
Locals, upon learning of the incident, thrashed Narayana Rao before the police intervened and arrested him. He has since been booked under the POCSO Act for attempted sexual assault.
Reacting strongly, state IT and education minister Nara Lokesh, condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
He said he was “shocked” to learn of the assault attempt and assured that the government would take strict action against the accused.
“Whoever commits such heinous crimes will be crushed with an iron hand,” Lokesh said and added that the victim would receive counselling and full support, and that officials had been instructed to ensure the safety of students, particularly in Gurukulam schools and welfare hostels.
The incident has sparked anger among local residents and political parties alike, with villagers demanding accountability from the school administration for allowing an outsider to take the student out.
Police are interrogating school staff and investigating whether any negligence facilitated the crime.
Responding to speculative social media claims, Kakinada DSP Srihari Raju cautioned that linking the accused to any political party without verification is misleading.
“This is not a politically linked case. No political party has confirmed any association with the accused. Those attempting to create political unrest or spread misinformation will face strict legal consequences,” he warned.
The Andhra Pradesh State Women’s Commission has taken serious note of the attempted rape of a minor Gurukul student in Tuni, Kakinada district. Expressing deep anguish over the incident, Commission Chairperson Dr. Rayapati Sailaja has directed officials to ensure swift and strict action against the accused.
The Commission has also served a notice to the District Police Department, directing them to submit a detailed report on the incident within 48 hours.