Hyderabad, Jul 22 (IANS): Well-known child rights activist P. Achyuta Rao died of Covid-19 here on Wednesday. He was 58.

The founder of Balala Hakkula Sangham, an NGO fighting for child rights, breathed his last at a private hospital, where he was admitted a week ago.

Rao was also suffering from a heart ailment and other co-morbidities, hospital sources said.

The honorary President of the Balala Hakkula Sangham was active in taking up cases of child right violations and only last month had helped authorities in taking action in a case of a child marriage and sexual assault of a minor by a police constable.

Rao and his wife Anuradha Rao had formed the NGO in 1985 and he was instrumental in taking up the issues of child rights in undivided Andhra Pradesh, and subsequently in Telangana. He also served as a member of the State Child Rights Commission.

The activist also filed many petitions in the State Human Rights Commission and the High Court for protection of the rights of children. He fought against child marriages, child labour and also raised the issues of school children.

Rao had taken up the case of a 13-year-old Jain girl who died in 2016 after fasting for 68 days in Secunderabad as part of a religious ceremony.

Covid-19 has so far claimed 429 lives in Telangana. More than 47,000 people have been infected by the virus so far.