VIJAYAPURA: A group of five allegedly gang-raped a 15-year-old girl, on the outskirts of Kolhar, near Vijayapura and later circulated the video-clip of the heinous crime on social networking sites. According to police, the gang-rape on the minor which took place on April 16 came to light on April 24. The girl and her family lodged a complaint against the rapists only when the video clip of the gang-rape turned viral on social media sites on the same day.
The victim is a school dropout. Launching an investigation into the incident, the police arrested four accused who are identified as Anil Lamani, Somanath G, Anil Herkal and Anand M. However, the fifth accused Arun Rathod is still at large, but the police have intensified their search for him. According to police, all the accused are said to below 30 years of age. On April 16, the gang members who are friends and residents of the same town met the girl and took her in an autorickshaw saying that some of her relatives were waiting for her on the town’s outskirts.
Later, the gang took her to a secluded place out of the town and gang-raped her. The five members also video recorded the crime on their mobile phones. They then shared the video clips on social media sites which soon turned viral. When the victim came to know of the clip, she rushed to the police station and registered a complaint in Kolhar police station on April 24. According to sources, she failed to register a complaint with police on the day she was gang-raped fearing that her family’s reputation could get tarnished.
She decided to file a complaint only after the video clips went viral. After she had lodged the complaint, the victim underwent a medical test that confirmed rape. A case has been registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The investigating police have appealed to the cybercrime division to immediately remove the viral video from all social media sites.