Hyderabad police seek help for info of 6-year-old's rape case accused

Two days after Telangana Minister KT Ramarao had tweeted about the arrest of the perpetrator who allegedly raped and murdered a six-year-old neighbour in Hyderabad last week, the minister went into a correction mode on Tuesday night saying that he was "misinformed" and that the accused is yet to be caught and "brought to justice".

Hyderabad:Two days after Telangana Minister KT Ramarao had tweeted about the arrest of the perpetrator who allegedly raped and murdered a six-year-old neighbour in Hyderabad last week, the minister went into a correction mode on Tuesday night saying that he was "misinformed" and that the accused is yet to be caught and "brought to justice".

"Would like to correct my tweet below. I was misinformed that he was arrested. Regret the erroneous statement. The perpetrator is absconding and Hyderabad police have launched a massive manhunt for him. Let's all make our best efforts to ensure he's nabbed and brought to justice quickly," Mr Rao posted, with a screenshot of his earlier tweet.

Amid rising public anger, the minister has retracted the tweet and the police have released a photo of the man they believe is the killer.

The Hyderabad police announced a reward of ₹ 10 lakh was declared on Tuesday for any information on the man, identified as Pallakonda Raju, 30, the child's neighbour. He has been missing since the girl was found dead inside his house.

On September 9, the girl was reported missing from her home in Singareni Colony in Hyderabad. Her body was found in the house of the neighbour the next day, wrapped in a bedsheet.

Initial reports had said the accused had been arrested. But when it emerged that the information was false, there were massive protests and tension in the area, with residents of the colony demanding justice for the girl and her family.