Seven suspects arrested in connection with a gang rape at a temple in Telangana's Nagarkurnool

Seven persons were held for allegedly raping a woman in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana, police said on Tuesday.

The incident allegedly happened in Urkondapeta village on Saturday when the woman along with her husband went there for a temple darshan and stayed on the premises, they said.

When the woman went to attend nature's call, the accused forcibly took her to an isolated place near the temple and allegedly raped her in the bushes on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, even as they tied her husband to a tree when he went to her rescue, police had said.

After initiating an investigation into the case, police took seven persons into custody. The accused including an electrician, an auto-driver and two cooks are involved in extortion cases booked earlier, a police official said.

Taking a serious note of the incidents of sexual assault in Nagarkurnool district and also Hyderabad, state Women and Child Welfare Minister D Anasuya Seethakka spoke to senior police officials and women welfare department officials. She also enquired about the progress of investigation and the health conditon of the survivors.

She directed them to take measures to help the survivors and to ensure tough punishment to the culprits, a release from her office said.

She said the government has acted swiftly after the incidents came to light and arrested the accused and is also helping the survivors.