Theatre worker rapes 13-year-old

A 13-year-old girl who went to a nearby cinema theatre to fetch water was reportedly raped by a staffer there on Tuesday.

The staffer, Prasad, stuffed a piece of cloth in the girl's mouth, dragged her to a room and raped her, the police said quoting girl’s father who lodged a complaint.

Sanatnagar police inspector Venkat Reddy said the girl, who came from a very poor family, lives a slum with her parents in the vicinity of Anjali theatre in Borabanda area.

She used to go to the theatre to fetch water as there is no drinking water supply to the slum, which is very close to the house of deputy mayor Baba Fasiduddin.

The police registered a case of rape on a minor under IPC 376 (2) and (5), along with various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

"It is a tragedy that families living beside the city deputy mayor's residence do not have water supply. The girl was also denied the right to safe drinking water," Achyuta Rao, honorary president of the Balala Hakkula Sangham (Child Rights Association), said.