7-day custody for Vaishnavi murder accused

The court of first additional chief metropolitan magistrate here on Wednesday issued orders to send the main accused P Venkata Rao in the murder of 10-year-old Naga Vaishnavi to seven-day police custody. 

Rao's co-accused M Srivasa Rao and Jagadish have already been sent to police custody on Tuesday. Responding to a petition filed by the police for further questioning, the magistrated granted a seven-day custody for Venkata Rao. 

Meanwhile, women organisations were up in arms opposing leagal aid to the culprits. Mahila Union leader and Congress leader Tadi Sakuntala said despite request to the Bar Association, lawyer Manmadha Rao has come forward to take up the case of Venkata Rao.

However, Manmada Rao maintained that a lawyer cannot decline to take up a case and he felt that Venkata Rao is innocent in the eyes of law. He alleged that though Venkata Rao has been in the illegal police custody for some time, he was produced at the magistrate's house on Monday.