Did Police Exonerate Boyfriend in Andhra Minor Girl’s Murder?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Police have excluded the boyfriend from murder suspicion.
- The victim was last seen near a temple in Gandikota.
- Investigators are pursuing new leads in the case.
- The victim's family is demanding justice.
- Community outrage is growing over the incident.
Amaravati, July 16 (NationPress) In a surprising development in the murder investigation of a 17-year-old girl in YSR Kadapa district, police have announced that her boyfriend, who took her to Gandikota on his motorcycle, is not involved in the crime. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Kurnool Range) Koya Praveen stated that the investigation is ongoing and some significant clues have been uncovered.
During a press briefing after assessing the scene, the DIG confirmed that Lokesh, the girl’s boyfriend, was not implicated in the murder, and he clarified that there had been no sexual assault on the victim.
The DIG refrained from providing detailed information, but he expressed confidence that the district Superintendent of Police would solve the case by Wednesday night.
The young girl was discovered deceased under suspicious circumstances in a forested area near the well-known tourist destination of Gandikota in Jammalamadugu mandal on Tuesday.
She was a second-year Intermediate student at a private college in Proddatur. Her parents had reported her missing to the police late on Monday after she failed to return home.
Authorities located the body of the missing girl concealed in bushes behind a temple in Gandikota.
Preliminary police investigations indicated that the girl was allegedly enticed away by a young man named Lokesh from Hanumanagutti village in Yerraguntla mandal. Reports show he picked her up on his bike and transported her to Gandikota.
CCTV footage near the toll gate in Gandikota captured the couple entering the area around 8:10 AM, with Lokesh appearing alone at 5 PM that same day.
Police have since arrested Lokesh and conducted an interrogation.
The DIG's assertion on Wednesday that Lokesh was innocent has shifted the investigation's focus.
Upon arriving in Gandikota, Lokesh and the girl reportedly spent two hours at a private lodge before he dropped her off at the fort.
The police officer noted that the girl was last seen carrying her college bag near the temple.
“We are uncertain about what transpired after that. We have excluded her boyfriend from suspicion. We have uncovered some leads regarding her murderer,” he stated.
The victim’s father, Kondaiah, claimed they had moved from Hanumanagutti village to Proddatur due to harassment from Lokesh under the guise of love. The girl was enrolled in a local college.
On Monday, when she didn’t return from college, her parents inquired at the institution and were shocked to discover she hadn’t attended. They promptly filed a missing person report with the police.
The father of the deceased has demanded justice, calling for the accused to be killed in an encounter. He has even stated he would take matters into his own hands if the authorities failed to act.