13-yr-old Andhra girl defeats death after pushed off bridge by mother’s paramour

In Andhra Pradesh's Ambedkar Konaseema district, a 13-year-old girl displayed exceptional bravery by saving herself from a deadly fall into the Godavari river after being pushed off the Ravulapalem Gowthami Bridge by her mother's live-in partner. Amidst the enveloping darkness and roaring sounds of the river, she managed to hold onto a plastic pipe and dialed 100 on her cell phone, despite witnessing her mother and step-sister being swept away. The police were amazed by the girl's courage in such a dire situation. The girl, Keertana, informed the authorities that U. Suresh, her mother's partner, was responsible for the heinous act. Suresh had taken the family for shopping in Rajamahendravaram and later brought them to the bridge under the guise of taking a selfie. Without warning, he pushed them all off. While Keertana's mother, Suhasini (36), and her one-year-old step-sister, Jersey, were carried away by the river's currents, Keertana managed to grasp onto a pipe beneath the bridge. Mistakenly believing all three had perished, Suresh fled. Ravulapalem Sub-Inspector Venkatramna and his team responded promptly, rescuing the young girl. Separate teams were assembled to search for Suhasini and Jersey, and to apprehend Suresh. Background information revealed that Suhasini, originally from Tadepalli in Guntur district, had separated from her previous husband. She later became involved with Suresh from Darsi in Prakasam district. After living together for several years, Suhasini gave birth to another daughter. However, tensions arose between the couple, leading Suresh to devise a plan to eliminate Suhasini and her two daughters.