Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the burning of a 10-year-old tribal girl in Andhra Pradesh with a ladle over allegations of stealing a mobile phone. The incident originally occurred in the village of Kudithepalem, Nellore.
Police claim that neighbours tortured the girl along with her aunt on the advice of a soothsayer.
Five individuals, including the girl’s aunt, have been arrested. Police have filed the case under serious charges in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including attempt to murder (109), causing grievous hurt to extract a confession (120), as well as sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The girl’s maternal aunt, Sannari Manikyam, had been her guardian for many years since her mother had remarried.
The girl, Gandala Chenchamma, was accused of stealing a mobile phone by neighbours on June 22 and forced to admit to the theft despite her innocence in the act.
To coax the child into confessing, the neighbours reportedly pressed a hot ladle onto her skin, leaving burns across the body and the face.
Locals who heard the girl’s cries for help called Indurukpeta Mandal police, who promptly arrived and rushed her to the Indurukpeta Government Hospital, where she received immediate treatment.
Speaking to reporters, Chenchamma had stated she had no involvement in the theft of the device. “Despite repeatedly telling them I didn’t take their phone, they kept burning my body. I don’t remember their names, but there were four of them,” she added.
Indurukpeta Mandal police accordingly filed an FIR against five individuals, including the girl’s maternal aunt.
Speaking to reporters on June 23, an officer from the Indukurupeta police station said, “The girl denied going to the neighbour’s house, let alone stealing a phone, and claimed innocence. We have registered an FIR and detained two people for questioning.”
Writing on social media platform X, Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission chairperson Sailaja Rayapati said, “I visited a girl at the Nellore Apollo Hospital who was subjected to torture on her face and tongue on the pretext of phone theft. I reviewed the reasons for the incident with the authorities. I inquired about her health condition through the doctors.” Rayapati further added that she reassured the girl of justice, “The Women’s Commission will stand by the family with courage. I clearly instructed the police officials to take strict action against the accused immediately.”
“This barbaric act has shaken the conscience of the state,” wrote the YSR Congress Party on X.
“Such incidents expose the breakdown of law and order under the TDP-led coalition government. The safety of our children, especially from vulnerable communities, must be protected at all costs,” added the party, condemning the incident.
Locals of the village claim that Manikyam had refused to allow Chenchamma to live with her for the past two months after a domestic dispute. The girl had been living with others in the tribal hamlet since.
