The Bhavanipuram police arrested Vinod Jain, accused by a minor girl in her suicide note ofsexually harassingher, and produced him in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court amidst tight security on Tuesday. The court remanded him to judicial custody.
“The accused was sent to the Machilipatnam jail,” said a police officer who is part of the team investigating the case.
Police are inquiring into the activities of Vinod Jain, a realtor who unsuccessfully contested the local body elections from Ward 37 on a TDP ticket. The party has suspended him over the incident.
The minor girl, who was allegedlybeing sexually harassedby the accused, was studying at a corporate school at Labbipet. The girl ended her life by jumping off her fifth-floor apartment at Bhavanipuram two days ago. Before resorting to the extreme step, the girl wrote a suicide note naming the accused.
“I am very scared and ashamed. I have not told about this to anyone,” she said in her note, adding that she was taking her life as she was unable to bear the sexual harassment of her neighbour.
“If this would have been any other problem, I would not have taken the extreme step. I am unable to handle the situation,” the girl wrote in her notebook.
“Vinod Jain was sexually harassing me and was behaving indecently for the last couple of months,” the girl wrote.
The incident sent shockwaves across the State, with protests breaking out at many parts demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. Students of various educational institutions organised rallies condemning the incident and raised slogans demanding capital punishmentfor the accused.
Protests were held in Krishna, West Godavari, and East Godavari districts. Students, women and other organisations offered their respects to the deceased girl.
People suffering from depression or struggling with suicidal thoughts are urged to call 100 for counselling.
