Tutor held for molesting minor girls in Andhra hostel

Police in Andhra Pradesh Saturday arrested a tutor of a private hostel for sexually assaulting 12 minor tribal girls.

Nalgonda district police arrested Harish Nayak and also hostel warden N. Srinivas and booked them for rape. They were also booked for cheating and other offences under various sections of Indian Penal Code.

The 22-year-old tutor allegedly violated the tribal girls, all below 13 years, during last five months at a hostel run by an NGO.

The hostel is located in Enemeedla tribal hamlet under Tungaturthy gram panchayat in Peddavoora mandal of Nalgonda district, about 150 km from here. The hostel has 44 girls and the NGO running the facility had roped in Harish for teaching the girls.

"The tutor used to stay in the hostel and lure the girls with chocolates. He resorted to sexual harassment and sexual assault," said Nalgonda Superintendent of Police T. Prabhakar Rao.

Police have sent the victims to a social welfare hostel run by the government.

Earlier, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy ordered the probe in to the incident. He asked the district collector and the superintendent of police to take immediate action against the culprits.

State women's commission chairperson Tripurana Venkataratnam assured that the victims would be given compensation of Rs.50,000 each and the government would also bear expenses for their education.

Groups of students, women and tribals took to streets in Nalgonda district, demanding punishment to the guilty. The protestors demanded that the rapist be hanged.

The state human rights commission Saturday asked the social welfare department to take action and submit a report by March 5. The commission issued the directions on a petition by a rights group.