Overview

• Dasari Mahendar was arrested this week and remanded to judicial custody on allegations of raping a 19-year-old aspirant and pressuring her into suicide
• Nacharam police say the accused concealed his existing marriage and children while luring the victim with false promises before forcing himself on her
• The Forensic Science Laboratory is examining fetal samples to establish evidence of pregnancy and support forthcoming charges
• Officials confirmed Mahendar’s prior criminal history, including narcotics and violence-related cases, underscoring concerns over repeat offending
• The arrest forms part of an intensified police response to a nationwide surge in sexual violence against women