Published Oct 26, 2026 | 12:37 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2026 | 12:37 PM
Angered by her death, family members and residents staged a protest with her body.
Synopsis: A five-year-old girl died after an alleged sexual assault in Chadalawada village in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district on Sunday night, 25 October. Her family and local residents blocked the Ongole–Chirala main road, demanding stringent punishment for the accused, after whom the police were reported to be searching. The protesters called off the blockade after senior officials assured them of a murder case, charges under the POCSO Act, a fast-track trial and government assistance for the family.
A five-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by a 25-year-old man in Chadalawada village of Naguluppalapadu mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district late on Sunday night, 25 October.
The girl was playing near her house when Ajjam Anand, a resident of the same locality, allegedly lured her away to an isolated place nearby. She sustained severe bleeding during the assault, according to villagers, who alleged that the accused smothered her to death to prevent the crime from coming to light.
The child was found by a search party around 2 am on Monday and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Angered by her death, family members and residents staged a protest with her body on the Ongole–Chirala main road near Chadalawada.
They demanded stringent punishment for the accused and refused to leave until the authorities addressed their demands. The blockade left vehicles stranded for about three kilometres on both sides of the road, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Naguluppalapadu police and senior officials reached the spot and held talks with the protesters.
The relatives called off the blockade after officials assured them that a murder case and charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act would be registered, that the case would be pursued through a fast-track court, and that government assistance would be extended to the victim’s family.
The girl’s body was subsequently shifted to RIMS hospital in Ongole for a post-mortem examination. Protesters alleged that Anand was under the influence of cannabis. Reports suggested that the police had taken him into custody.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Sarath Chandra B)
