Adilabad court sentences auto driver to life for attempted rape, murder of tribal woman

Hyderabad, Aug 29 (PTI) A local court in Adilabad district sentenced an auto driver to life imprisonment and fined him Rs 30,000 for attempting to rape and murder a tribal woman last year.

The court found Shaik Magdhum guilty under sections 64 r/w 62 (attempted rape), 109 (attempt to murder), and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.

According to a police release issued on Friday, the woman boarded the accused’s auto on August 31, 2024, to travel to Sirpur (U) in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district.

The accused allegedly tried to rape her, and when she resisted, he struck her "on the head and face with an iron rod", leaving her unconscious.

Two bystanders helped admit her to a government hospital, and she was later shifted to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for further treatment. She regained consciousness after two days, following which the police recorded her statement and launched an investigation.

The man was identified during the probe, arrested, and produced before the court.

Kumuram Bheem Asifabad Superintendent of Police Kantilal Patil lauded the police and Special Public Prosecutor Ramana Reddy for their role in securing the conviction.

"The judgment will serve as a deterrent against sexual offences targeting women," he said.

The incident had sparked protests by tribal organisations and communal tensions in the region last year. PTI SJR SSK