By Express News Service
BENGALURU: Eight persons were detained by Banaswadi police on Wednesday in connection with the molestation of a woman in Kammanahalli in the early hours of January 1. The shocking incident had been captured by a CCTV camera in the locality and drew widespread outrage after visuals went viral.
On Wednesday, Hemanth Nimbalkar, additional commissioner of police (east), formed teams headed by East DCP Ajay Hillori and north-east DCP P S Harsha, and picked up 12 persons for questioning. Police detained the persons based on mobile phones that were active in the specific location during the time. Four of them were let off after questioning.
Police said the suspects are locals and may have known or seen the victim before. They followed the victim before groping her. Another woman who was with the victim while getting down from the auto had reached the residence the victim could. Taking advantage of this, the men attacked her.
Nimbalkar said, "We have registered a suo motu case. Teams have been formed to nab the accused and we have some leads. We will crack the case very soon."
Apart from an assistant commissioner of police, eight police inspectors and police sub-inspectors each as well as police personnel from technical wing have been put on the case,” a police source said.
They said the victim is a student of a city college and is said to be from a north-eastern state.
City Police commissioner Praveen Sood clarified that his tweet on Tuesday night about registering an FIR was in connection to the Kammanahalli case and not about the M G Road one as the investigators are yet to find any evidence in this regard.
The suo motu case was registered after Hennur police inspector Srinivas registered the complaint. In his complaint letter he has said, "On January 3 around 9.30pm Prashanth Francis called me over phone and told about the incident that took place around 2.41am on January 1. He asked me to come home to watch and get the visuals. Around 9.45pm I reached his residence and watched it where a woman was groped and was forcefully kissed by a man."
