Pinto Deepak By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Marri Srinivas Reddy and P Praveen could arguably be two of the most abhorred names in Telangana at the moment. The two notorious criminals, both involved in sensational crimes that rocked the State recently, had been startlingly similar in the way they committed the crimes. Both Srinivas Reddy (who had abducted, raped and killed three minor girls in Hajipur village) and P Praveen (sentenced to death for raping and murdering a nine-month-old infant in Warangal), however, exhibit such different behavioural patterns that it has taken even the police by surprise. Poles apart Srinivas Reddy (28), who used to work as a crane operator, had a habit of visiting commercial sex workers regularly. In 2017, he killed a woman in Kurnool. He was also involved in a harassment case in his village, but it was settled through compromise. In fact, most of the 2,000 residents of his village know very little about this school dropout-turned-bike mechanic. Investigations revealed that he was addicted to child pornography, something he was regularly spotted watching on his two mobile phones. In April 2019, after killing and burying his last victim (12) in the well, Srinivas reportedly went ahead and played cricket with a few boys in the area. The very next day, he even attended a friend’s wedding. He also did not personally know any of his victims. He had lured them by offering to drop them on his bike. He had employed the same modus operandi when he abducted, raped and killed two girls in March 2009, and 2015 as well. Srinivas Reddy was a known womaniser, with an active criminal record. P Praveen (21), on the other hand, was what one could term a ‘voyeur’. He got married a couple of years ago and was making a living by doing odd jobs. It is learnt that even his wife had little complaints about him. When the police approached her, they were told that “he took good care of her”. The investigators found that before he raped and murdered the nine-month-old baby in June 2019, he had stolen two mobile phones of girls who were sleeping on the terrace opposite to his building. He was involved in thefts such as this, small property offences, etc., but generally nothing more. A chain-snatching attempt that happened a few years ago was the only complaint reported against him. Praveen, however, also had a history of watching women while they were changing clothes or bathing. He has also groped women while in crowded places but was never caught. Though he was involved in crimes, none of his acts came to the book, unlike Srinivas Reddy. ‘Accused knows bail is inevitable’ “The accused often do not care about the consequences he would face as he knows that bail is inevitable and that the charge sheet may be late,” said Padmawathi, chairperson, CWC 48 days after the brutal rape and murder of a nine-month-old infant in Warangal, a POCSO Special Court sentenced the accused P Praveen to the gallows, in what is now being considered a landmark judgment ‘Child-friendly courts should be set up’ Officials involved in trials of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) cases also note that the High Court must set up child-friendly courts and legal systems in every district at the earliest A day after 14-year-old rape victim commits suicide, cops arrest two Warangal: City police on Monday arrested two persons who had allegedly raped the 14-year-old girl who committed suicide the previous day. The accused — Prasanna Kumar (16) and Tirupathi (20) from Pembarthy village near Kamalapur — had picked the girl up from her home and took her to their village where four men were waiting for them. They raped her in turns and dropped her back home at night. Afraid of facing the society after her ordeal, she hung herself from the ceiling. Investigation Officer and ACP Ch Sridhar said a case had been registered against the two who were arrested under Sections of IPC, 306, 376DA, 506 and Section 5g (R/W) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2018. The girl’s family have demanded the government to set up a fast track court similar to the one that had recently convicted one Praveen for raping and murdering a nine-month-old less than 50 days from when the crime took place. Meanwhile, Panchayat Raj Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Warangal West MLA D Vinay Bhaskar visited the bereaved family and consoled them. Several social activists and NGOs staged a demonstration at Bheemaram Check Post in the city. They appealed to the State government to constitute an expert committee that would suggest measures to prevent atrocities against women. They demanded the police to ensure the culprits get the death penalty as per the revised POCSO Act

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