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VIJAYAWADA: A 45-year-old woman was booked under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for raping a 15-year-old boy at Vambay Colony in Vijayawada. The incident happened on May 5, but came to light on Friday after the boy's family lodged a police complaint. The woman was arrested and sent to judicial custody.

According to Nunna inspector M V Durga Rao, the woman and the boy are neighbours in Vambay Colony. The woman's husband died about seven years ago and has been living alone after her two daughters got married. "On May 5, she forced the boy to have sex with her," said the inspector. Shaken by the incident, the boy fled to his grandparents house at Rajam in Srikakulam district and returned a month later on June 5.

According to the police, the woman was apprehensive that the boy would reveal the incident to his family and kept tabs on him. "On June 7, she tried to rape the boy again but was spotted by his mother. The mother than started beating the boy, but was prevented from doing so by the accused and this led to a verbal duel between the two women. The boy told his mother what the woman did to him a month ago," said the inspector.

The boy's mother along with locals lodged a complaint of rape against the woman. Cops booked a case against the woman under Section 4 of the POCSO Act and arrested her on Friday.

She was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody.

