Madanapalle police acted swiftly in the case pertaining to the infamous rape and murder of a minor at Angallu that had shocked the State on November 7.
On the double
Undaunted by the public outcry and demand for ‘instant justice’, the district police department moved quickly but calmly with Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar taking a proactive role in busting the case.
As the case goes, accused Pathan Mohammad Rafi (25) had abducted a five-year-old child from a convention hall in Angallu on Nov 7, raped, murdered, and abandoned her behind the hall. After a complaint was registered the next day, the team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Madanapalle) K. Ravi Manoharachari arrested the accused on Nov 16, i.e., within a week and produced him before the court the next day. during the course of the investigation, it was found the accused was involved in a similar rape case involving a minor at the nearby Basinikonda in 2008, but was acquitted later.
Calm certitude, not haste
The material evidence gathered from the scene of offence was immediately sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Matching up with the Police Department’s speed, the FSL also forwarded its report to the court in a record time of 10 days, which normally takes several months. Against a 90-day period allowed for filing charge sheet in rape cases, police did it incredibly fast - within 17 working days from the date of arrest - after they did it on December 10.
Since the charge sheet is filed in the special court in Chittoor dealing with cases related to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), the case is expected to come up for trial at the earliest. Perhaps, speedy, not ‘instant justice’, is delivered to the victim and her family.
