PhD Student Booked for Rape

BANGALORE : A 34-year-old distance education PhD student was booked by the Jnanabharathi police for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old girl. His associate Senthil Kumar (30) was also detained.

According to the police, on Tuesday morning, the girl left home in a private van and was dropped at the school around 8.30 am. Soon after, Senthil, came on a motorbike and she went with him.

On seeing the girl leaving with a stranger, van driver Anil informed her mother.

When the girl’s mother came to the school and found that she was not in the class, she informed the police and school authorities.

Around 2.30 pm, the girl was dropped back in front of the school by PhD student Saravanan, who works as a salesman in the city.

When asked, the girl stated that Senthil had dropped her off at Saravanan’s house in Kumbalgodu. Based on the parents’ complaint, police detained Sarvanan and on questioning, he said he met the girl about a-year-and-a-half ago. “He claimed that the two were having an affair and confessed to having molested her,” police officials said.

5 Held for Selling Brazilian Currency

The Halasuru Gate police arrested a gang of five for allegedly trying to sell Brazilian Real (BRL) and seized currency worth `63.5 lakh. Police are verifying whether it was stolen or counterfeit.

The arrested are Somashekhar, Kashi Vishwanatha, Somashekhar alias Soma, Chandrakanth and Muralidhar.

Tailor Arrested  for Cheating

A 32-year-old tailor was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly cheating people by promising them lead roles in Kannada movies.

Accused Eshwar alias Eshwarachari, a resident of Sunkadakatte on Magadi Road, had taken a few thousand rupees from the aspirants and later evaded them, Kamakshipalya police said.