Vasireddy Padma lodges complaint against former MP Madhav

Vijayawada : Former chairperson of the AP Women’s Commission Vasireddy Padma lodged a complaint with Vijayawada police commissioner requesting him to register an FIR against the YSRCP leader and former MP Kuruva Gorantla Madhav and the management of a TV channel for revealing the identities of minor victims of rape.

In her complaint, Padma on Saturday said the YSRCP leader has committed a serious offence by revealing the identities of multiple victims of rape (including minors) and it was broadcast on a TV channel on October 21, 2024.

Padma met the commissioner and stated that a video posted on YouTube had garnered over 12,000 views in the last 11 days and continues to be watched unabated. She said the amount of torture and mental harassment that these poor women must endure on account of such irresponsible statements is just unfathomable. Padma said under the appropriate provisions of law, strict action should be taken on the YSRCP leader and the TV channel management to ensure that such acts are not repeated in future.

She said in publicising the identities of multiple victims of rape, including minors, on social media, former MP Gorantla Madhav and the TV channel had committed various cognisable offences punishable under Sections 72 and 79 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 23 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso Act), 2012 and deserve the strictest punishment possible for the same. Padma said, “As a former chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh State Women Commission (APSWC) and a woman, I consider it my moral duty to bring such incidents to the notice of the relevant authorities so that the safety, dignity and reputation of the women of the state of Andhra Pradesh can be safeguarded.”

Padma recently quit YSRCP and lashed out at the former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and his policies.