Minor boy burnt to death for resisting harassment of sister in Andhra Pradesh's Cherukupalli; 3 accused held

Police said the accused waylaid the boy, thrashed him, poured petrol on him and set him ablaze for opposing the harassment of his sister by the prime accused.

Cherukupalli (Andhra Pradesh): In a shocking incident, a minor boy was burnt to death for resisting harassment of his sister by the accused in Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh on Friday, police said. Police have arrested three accused for the alleged murder while the fourth accused is at large. The arrested accused have been identified as Pamu Venkateswar Reddy (20), the prime accused, Pamu Gopi Reddy (25) and Mandela Veera Babu (20).

A fourth accused Tumma Sambi Reddy is absconding in the case. Bapatla Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal whie confirming the arrest of the three accused, said on Saturday that the murder took place on Friday (June 16) at 5.30 am. According to the SP, the accused waylaid the boy, thrashed him, poured petrol on him and set him ablaze.

The accused are said to have been waiting for the boy since 4 am. The boy Amarnath was found dead in a remote place in Cherukupalli village. Over the motive of the murder, police said that the boy resisted prime accused Venkateswara Reddy's harassment of his sister. Police said the accused sexually harassed her under the guise of love.

The deceased boy had complained to Venkateswara Reddy's mother that her son was harassing his sister. Venkateswara Reddy's mother allegedly threatened to commit suicide over the issue after which Venkateswara Reddy developed a grudge against the boy and hatched a conspiracy to burn him alive.

Police said they picked up Venkateswara Reddy on Friday and interrogated him and he confessed to the crime. Deceased Uppala Amarnath (14) of Rajolu of Cherukupalli mandal of Bapatla district, lost his father in his childhood. He is survived by his mother, sister, and grandfather. It is said that after Amarnath was burnt alive by the accused, local volunteer Murthy, who lives nearby, heard the victim's cries and shifted him to Guntur Government Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

TDP chief Chandrababu expressed shock over the boy's gruesome murder. In a statement, Naidu said that the police's “lenient attitude towards those who harass women is the reason for such atrocities”.