An auto driver was arrested for allegedly attempting to rape and murder a tribal woman in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district, Telangana, police confirmed on Thursday.
The victim, a 45-year-old woman from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Gond community in Devuguda village, was traveling to her mother’s village in Soyanguda on August 31 when the incident occurred. According to police, the woman was walking through Raghavapur when she was struck by a vehicle and rushed to a hospital. She was later referred to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for further treatment.
On September 1, the woman’s younger brother filed a complaint at the Sirpur (U) Police Station. During the investigation, the survivor stated to police detailing the attack. She recounted that she had boarded an auto driven by the accused, Zainur Sonupatel, intending to visit her mother’s home in Soyanguda.
While passing through Raghavapur, the auto driver allegedly attempted to rape her. When the woman resisted and screamed, the driver attacked her with a stick, leaving her for dead on the roadside before fleeing the scene. The police registered a case, and the accused was subsequently arrested. DSP Sadayya Panthati confirmed the incident.
Tensions flared in the district following the attack, with protests erupting in Jainoor on Wednesday. An angry mob set fire to commercial establishments in response to the alleged sexual assault and attempted murder.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concern over the communal unrest in the area and urged for calm. In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), he stated that he had spoken to Telangana’s Director General of Police (DGP), who assured him that additional forces were being deployed to restore order.
“I have spoken to @TelanganaDGP regarding communal disturbances in Jainoor, Asifabad District. The @TelanganaDGP assured me that it is being monitored, and action will be taken against those responsible,” Owaisi wrote.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticized the Congress-led Telangana government for its handling of the situation. In a post on X, the Telangana BJP accused the state government of downplaying the case due to the accused belonging to a minority community, alleging an attempt to frame the incident as an accident.
In response to the unrest, the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) issued a statement, confirming that the law and order situation in Jainoor was under control following the violent protests.
