Two get life imprisonment for rape, murder of woman in Chirala

A court in Ongole on Monday sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in Bapatla district in June 2024, while a third accused was awarded a five-year jail term for sheltering the offenders.

Second Additional District Judge P. Lalitha convicted Devarakonda Vijay (26) and Karanki Mahesh Babu alias Mahesh (24) under Sections 376D (gang rape) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code and imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on each of them. The court also directed the government to pay ₹10 lakh compensation to the victim's family under the victim compensation scheme.

The third accused Devarakonda Srikanth (24) was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined ₹2,000 under Section 212 of the IPC for harbouring the offenders.

According to police, the crime took place on the morning of June 21, 2024, when the woman from Eepurupalem village in Chirala Rural police station limits had gone out near her residence. The two accused allegedly dragged her to bushes near the railway tracks behind the Zilla Parishad Girls High School, sexually assaulted and murdered her before stealing her gold earrings.

Based on a complaint lodged by the victim's mother, Chirala Rural police registered a case and arrested the accused the following day. Investigators completed the probe and filed a chargesheet within the stipulated period.

Bapatla Superintendent of Police (SP) B. Umamaheswar said the verdict reflected the district police's “Operation Dandayan” initiative aimed at ensuring swift investigation and stringent punishment in crimes against women and children.