A Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader’s son and his friend were on Tuesday arrested for the alleged abduction and rape of a 20-year-old woman in the state’s Suryapet district, the Hindustan Times reported.

The two men who have been arrested are Sheik Ghouse Pasha and Sairam Reddy, according to NDTV. Pasha is the son of Mohammed Khaja, a municipal ward member of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

The incident allegedly took place on the night of April 15 in the Kodad town. The woman’s mother filed a complaint with the police on Monday.

Advertisement

The mother alleged that the accused persons abducted the woman, took her to an abandoned house in an autorickshaw, and sexually assaulted her repeatedly, Town Circle Inspector Narasimha Rao said.

“The victim also complained to us that she was forced to drink a soft drink laced with sedatives after which she fell unconscious,” Rao said, according to the Hindustan Times. “When she woke up the following day and realised that she was sexually assaulted, she tried to escape from there, but they thrashed her causing injuries to her head.”

The accused persons allegedly left the house on Sunday night. Subsequently, some locals heard the woman’s cries and rescued her, the police said.

Advertisement

The police have filed a case under Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 363 (abduction), 376D (gang rape) and 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) of the Indian Penal Code.

A court has remanded Pasha and Reddy to judicial custody for two weeks, according to the police.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader Bachu Srinivas said that the culprits will be punished, whoever they may be, NDTV reported. “...Even if it is a TRS leader’s son or a BJP leader’s son, we are humans first,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury called on Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to respond on the matter, according to ANI. She also questioned the silence of KT Rama Rao, pointing out that he is otherwise very active on Twitter.

KT Rama Rao is a state minister and is the chief minister’s son.