Eluru Three Town police, in Andhra pradesh, arrest Muvvala Venkateswara Rao on November 27 after tracking him to a fishing village; NBW pending in multiple POCSO cases.
Accused of sexually assaulting minors; remanded to judicial custody as probe delves into potential network involvement.
SP K. Pratap Shiva Kishore hails team's efforts amid rising POCSO filings in Andhra Pradesh, linking to prior arrests like June's coach case.
In a significant breakthrough, the Eluru Three Town police, In Andhra Pradesh, arrested Muvvala Venkateswara Rao, a long-time fugitive wanted in multiple cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, on Wednesday night, November 27, 2025. Rao, who had been absconding for the past three years, was apprehended in a remote village where he had been sustaining himself through fishing, evading capture despite a pending non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him.
The arrest was executed based on intelligence inputs and followed extensive surveillance operations across the district, as confirmed by Eluru district Superintendent of Police K. Pratap Shiva Kishore. Rao faces charges in several POCSO cases registered at the Eluru Three Town police station, stemming from allegations of sexually assaulting minor girls, with investigations revealing a pattern of predatory behavior targeting vulnerable children in the local community.
Following his capture, Rao was produced before the local magistrate and remanded to judicial custody, with police stating that further interrogations will uncover any additional accomplices or unreported incidents. The SP commended the team's persistence, noting that the arrest sends a strong message against child sexual exploitation in Andhra Pradesh, where POCSO cases have seen a rising trend, with over 1,200 registered statewide in 2025 alone.
This development comes amid heightened vigilance in Eluru district, following earlier arrests in similar cases, such as that of an athletics coach in June 2025 for sexual harassment at a sports academy. Authorities have urged parents and schools to report suspicious activities promptly, emphasizing community involvement in safeguarding minors.
