JOIN USIn an incident of mob fury, a 45-year-old man was lynched to death by villagers for reportedly raping a seven-year-old girl.
Locals tied Sayanna to a tree in Donkeshwar village of Nandipet block in Nizamabad district, late on Saturday night and pelted stones and sticks at him.
A seriously injured Sayanna died on the way to the hospital. By the time the police reached the village, those who participated in the "public court" went underground.
According to the village's sarpanch Gudeti Haridas, Sayanna, who had claimed that he was not in town at the time of the rape, lured the girl by offering her biscuits and committed the crime.
He was in an inebriated condition when he returned home and found the victim alone at her home.
Her parents, who are labourers, were not at home at the time of the incident.
The girl came out of his house crying and was bleeding heavily. The villagers who attended to the girl realised what had happened.
They immediately informed the matter to the girl's parents, who in turn questioned Sayanna, only to be threatened by him with dire consequences.
The victim's mother took the girl to a local RMP doctor who refused to take up the case fearing legal implications.
They took her to the district headquarters hospital where is undergoing treatment.
Back in the village, the angry villagers dragged Sayanna out of his house and tied him to a tree.
The angry mob used sticks and stones to assault him. After he fell unconscious, they tried taking him to the hospital but he died on the way there.
Sayanna was staying alone in the village as his wife had left him and he was unable to bear the harassment.
His son is in jail in a murder case.