Mother too arrested after Telangana man disrobes woman in public; NCW and Governor seek report

According to the police, the accused assaulted and disrobed the survivor while she was returning home around 8 pm on Sunday from a grocery store on the outskirts of Greater Hyderabad.

Accused Pedda Maraiah, 33, was taken into custody immediately after the incident that took place on the outskirts of Greater Hyderabad on Sunday night. (Twitter/@krishna0302)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

The Telangana Police Tuesday arrested the mother of the labourer who assaulted and disrobed a woman on the streets of Jawahar Nagar for abetment of the offence, officials said.

The arrested Nagamma, 55, is the mother of accused Pedda Maraiah, 33, who was taken into custody immediately after the incident that took place on the outskirts of Greater Hyderabad on Sunday night. Maraiah’s arrest was recorded on Monday.

The National Commission for Women Tuesday sought a report from state DGP Anjani Kumar within seven days whereas Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday instructed the Chief Secretary and DGP to take action and submit a detailed report immediately.

“With profound distress over the unfortunate incident of forcefully disrobing a young woman on a street within the Jawahar Nagar P.S. limits in the outskirts of Hyderabad, the Hon’ble Governor has instructed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police of Telangana to take action against the culprits and submit a detailed report immediately,” said a statement from Raj Bhavan on Wednesday.

Speaking to indianexpress.com, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Malkajgiri) D Janaki denied any delay in investigation or action taken. She said the accused was taken into custody by the police patrol team within 5 minutes of the incident.

“Maraiah was arrested on Monday morning and his mother was charged with abetment as she did not stop her son. She was arrested on Tuesday. Both are remanded and currently in jail. We were prompt and the investigation was thorough,” she said.

According to the officer, the survivor was returning home around 8 pm from the nearby grocery store at Balaji Nagar in Jawahar Nagar when the accused pinched her waist while crossing the street. “As she slapped him in response and tried to call the police, he assaulted her and disrobed her. Within five minutes, our team reached and took him into custody. The victim is in Sakhi Centre,” the DCP said.

According to reports, the passersby did not intervene and instead some of them shot videos of the incident and later shared them on social media. The video clip showed the survivor being given a tarpaulin sheet to cover herself by another woman. The police later shifted her to a hospital.

It is learnt that the accused man, who was reportedly drunk, told the police that he was enraged when the survivor pulled his mother’s saree to stop them from leaving the spot. The police are yet to confirm if the man was drunk.

Shocking! Inebriated man strips woman passerby in @Jawaharnagarps limits, assaults another woman who tried to prevent him. At around 8:30 pm on Sunday, accused Peddamariah, a labourer, was returning home with his mom when he noticed a woman coming from a shop. #Hyderabad 1/3 pic.twitter.com/5GUtv5dj3C

— Krishnamurthy (@krishna0302) August 7, 2023

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the National Commission for Women condemned the shocking incident. “…A young woman stripped on the road after resisting molestation, while another brave woman tried to intervene. This audacious crime raises serious concerns about law & order. NCW urges prompt investigation, and medical support, and expects a detailed report within 7 days from the DGP,” the tweet read.

NCW strongly condemns shocking incident in Hyderabad. A young woman stripped on the road after resisting molestation, while another brave woman tried to intervene. This audacious crime raises serious concerns about law & order. NCW urges prompt investigation, medical support, and…

— NCW (@NCWIndia) August 8, 2023

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Telangana Women’s Commission led by chairperson V Sunitha Laxma Reddy met with the survivor on Wednesday and assured support. “Our team met with the victim, enquired about the incident and shifted her to Sakhi Centre for rehabilitation. We will see that appropriate action is taken and the accused is punished severely,” a statement said.

Same like Manipur incident..
TRS Government how can u answer this under your rule alcohol is everywhere orphan girl on the way to home from her work was stopped by a monster and ripped her dress she was naked for 10 mins on main road in Jawahar nagar in Hyderabad..
1/2 pic.twitter.com/FxXnJAmZPl

— Danasari Seethakka (@seethakkaMLA) August 8, 2023

‘A repeat of the Manipur incident’

Congress MLA Danasari Anasuya Tuesday termed the incident a repeat of the Manipur incident.