Auto Driver Arrested in Balapur for Assaulting Stepdaughter

A 50-year-old auto-rickshaw driver was arrested by the police in Balapur on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting his 15-year-old stepdaughter on multiple occasions over the course of a month.

According to the police, the suspect had married the victim's mother, who already had a daughter studying in Class VI. The man allegedly assaulted the minor girl five times over the past month after threatening her.

Investigators stated that the accused also warned the girl that he would kill her mother if she disclosed the abuse to anyone.

The abuse came to light recently when the victim revealed the ordeal, prompting the mother to approach law enforcement authorities. The victim's mother lodged a formal complaint with the Adibatla police.

Following the complaint, the Adibatla police registered a case against the driver under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Officers arrested the 50-year-old suspect on Friday and produced him before a local court to be remanded to judicial custody.