A Nellore man has been jailed for 10 years for raping a 98-year-old woman as a teenager in 2017

The court convicted Valluru Penchalayya on Tuesday, nine years after the crime, which took place on the premises of Santhapeta police station. Image is for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: menonsstocks

A man who raped a 98-year-old bedridden woman in Nellore in 2017 when he was 19 has been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment by the Eighth Additional District and Sessions Court, Nellore. The court convicted Valluru Penchalayya on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), nine years after the crime, which took place in the Santhapeta police station premises.

Penchalayya, a resident of Porlukatta in Nellore town, entered the woman’s house in the early hours of August 26, 2017 and raped her.

Her family members noticed that something was wrong with her health and took her to the State General Hospital for treatment. There, doctors treated her and informed the police. Based on what the doctors reported and the victim’s statement, the Santhapeta police registered a case under sections 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deal with rape and criminal intimidation.

District police officials followed the case from trial to sentencing using the Court Monitoring System (CMS), a mechanism by which the police monitor serious cases in court and ensure that witnesses and evidence are presented on time.

The court sentenced Penchalayya to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹1,000 for rape under Section 376(1) of the IPC. She also imposed a seven-year prison sentence on him for the crime of threatening under Section 506. Both sentences will run concurrently, for a longer period, i.e. 10 years, so he will serve them.

Published – 23 Sep 2026 09:59 IST