Amaravati: A 13-year-old girl managed to escape the clutches of death through her exemplary courage. She was pushed into the Godavari river by her mother’s live-in partner in Andhra Pradesh’s Ambedkar Konaseema district.
After being pushed off Ravulapalem Gowthami Bridge, the girl clung tenaciously to a plastic pipe protruding from the water. In a moment of sheer desperation, she reached for her cell phone and dialed 100, summoning the police for assistance.
In the midst of enveloping darkness and the ominous sounds of the river below, the young girl maintained her composure, even as her mother and step-sister were swept away by the currents.
The police report that, against all odds, the girl managed to grasp the pipe, retrieve her phone from her pocket, and make the distress call. Responding swiftly, the police arrived at the scene and discovered the girl in a perilous predicament as she clung precariously to the pipe. With the determined efforts of the police personnel, the girl was successfully rescued from her dangerous ordeal.
Police officials were surprised how the girl acted with such bravery to survive a certain death.
Keertana told police that her mother’s partner U. Suresh pushed her along with her mother Suhasini (36) and one-year-old step-sister Jersey off the bridge around 4 a.m. on Sunday.
He had taken them to Rajamahendravaram on Saturday evening in a car for shopping. After shopping, he took them to different places throughout the night. When they reached Ravulapalem Gowthami Bridge, he asked them to get down for taking a selfie. He sat along with them on
the edge of the bridge and suddenly pushed them into the river.
While Suhasini and Jersey were washed away, Keertana was lucky to hold on to a pipe under the bridge. Thinking that all the three were washed away, Suresh left the spot.
Though frightened, Keertana did not give up. She tightly held on to the pipe and managed to make a call from a mobile phone in her pocket.
Ravulapalem Sub-Inspector Venkatramna with his staff rushed to the spot and safely pulled her up.
Police formed a team to trace Suhasini and Jersey while another team was on the lookout for the accused.
Hailing from Tadepalli in Guntur district, Suhasini had separated from her husband due to some differences.
The woman, who had one daughter (Keertana) from her first marriage, came in contact with Suresh of Darsi in Prakasam district. They were living together for a couple of years.
Last year, she gave birth to another daughter.
Suresh and Suhasini had recently developed differences and he hatched a plan to eliminate her and both the girls.
