Overview

• Chenchamma was tortured and branded on the night of June 21 by her aunt and neighbours after a local soothsayer accused her of stealing a mobile phone.
• Police registered a case under Sections 120(1) and 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act and arrested five suspects including her maternal aunt.
• Officials did not invoke the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act because the accused and the victim belong to the same Scheduled Tribe community.
• After initial treatment at Indukurupeta Government Hospital, she was transferred to Apollo Hospital in Nellore where doctors report her condition as stable and expect her to fully recover within a week.
• With her parents unreachable after leaving for work in Tirupati, authorities are considering transferring her custody to the State Child Welfare Committee.