K.T. Rama Rao, Telangana’s Industry and Information Technology Minister, pledged his full support to the family of a six-year-old tribal girl who was reportedly sexually raped by the husband of a sarpanch from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Wednesday (TRS).

Rama Rao, who is also the TRS Working President, paid a visit to the victim’s parents at the Niloufer Children’s Hospital, which is run by the government.

He described the occurrence in Rajanna Sircilla as “terrible” and offered to support the family in their pursuit of justice.

KTR, as the minister is called, said that such an act in a civilised country is disgusting and that the perpetrators, regardless of who they are, should face the heaviest punishment possible.

He told the medics to provide the sufferer with the finest care possible.

The minister’s visit came a day after it was reported that the victim was taken to the hospital with a terrible stomach ache and forced to wait for six hours. She was admitted during a demonstration at the hospital by the Telangana Girijana Sangham, which demanded rapid medical attention and justice for the victim.

On Tuesday, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay paid a visit to the hospital. Despite the fact that he represents the Sircilla constituency, he had chastised KTR for his silence on the matter.

At the hospital, Bahujan Samaj Party leader R.S. Praveen Kumar consoled the girl’s relatives. He had requested that the government set up a fast-track court to ensure that the victim received prompt justice and that the family was given all possible assistance.

On October 27, the tragedy occurred at a village in Rajanna Sircilla district’s Yellareddypet Mandal. It was only two days later that the girl had a fever and notified her parents about the sexual assault that it was discovered.

Police arrested the 46-year-old accused on October 29. Shankar has been booked under section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, section 376 of the Indian Penal Code and also under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

According to authorities, the accused committed the sexual assault while he was alone at home watching television with the girl. He had threatened the victim with not telling anyone about the incident.

The next day, though, she got a fever and informed her parents of the occurrence. They filed a police report as a result of this.

The tribal family was paying rent in the sarpanch’s house.