Accused in minor girl’s rape and murder case in Madanapalle found dead

The accused in the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Madanapalle was found dead on Wednesday morning.

The body of the accused, Kulavardhan, was floating in a tank at Kanasanivaripalle under the Mudivedu police station limits in Annamayya district, Superintendent of Police Dheeraj Kunubilli told the media.

The SP said that immediately after the girl went missing on Monday evening, special police parties started searching for her. There was public outrage after the girl’s body was found in a drum at the house of Kulavardhan on Tuesday morning.

“To protect the accused from public outrage, we were transporting him in a Rakshak vehicle. When the police party escorting the accused reached the highway, it was blocked by protesters. When the police were trying to make way for the vehicle, Kulavardhan was with the driver. He escaped. Special teams launched a search,” the SP said.

“Preliminary investigation suggested that the accused might have ended his life. However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination,” the police said.

The body of Kulavardhan was recovered from the tank and shifted to the Government District Hospital in Madanapalle for autopsy.

Kulavardhan, a powerloom worker from Neerugattuvaripalle locality of Madanapalle, was accused of sexually assaulting and murdering the minor girl on Monday night.

Following the incident, six special police teams were formed to trace the accused, while over 200 policemen were deployed in and around Madanapalle to maintain the law and order.

The SP said that despite the accused’s death, the investigation would continue and all evidence would be thoroughly examined.

Meanwhile, the body of the minor girl was shifted to her native Ragimanidinne village in Veeraballi mandal of Kadapa district, where her last rites were performed.