BENGALURU: In a horrifying incident that cast a shadow on the image of Bengaluru being one of the safest cities in the country for women, a 19-year-old woman was allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by four men in a moving car for five and a half hours. The incident took place in the Koramangala police station limits on March 25 night. Four have been arrested.
The police said the woman, who works with a private company, was smoking with her male friend in a park attached to National Games Village, which has residential complexes that house several judges and top bureaucrats, around 9.30 pm on March 25.
Meanwhile, one of the accused, who reportedly knew the victim’s friend, approached them and objected to them sitting in the park at night and smoking. The victim and her friend told him that it was none of his business.
But then a shocking thing happened. “The friend told the victim that he needed to go home and left, even as the accused was standing there and making phone calls. In a few minutes, three others came to the park, forcibly dragged the woman into the car and abducted her. Via Domlur, they drove to Attibele on Hosur Road and made a U-turn before the checkpost and left the woman near her house in Ejipura around 3.30 am. While the car was on the move, the accused allegedly raped the woman,” DCP (South-East division) CK Baba told reporters.
The victim, who managed to contact her mother, reached a hospital with her help and filed a complaint against the four youths the next day. “Within eight hours after the case was registered, all the four accused were secured. We are waiting for the medical reports. More details can’t be shared as the investigation is still on,” the DCP said. He added that the victim was familiar with the faces of the accused, but was not acquainted with them.
The accused have been identified as Satish, Vijay, Sridhar and Kiran, all residents of Ejipura and surrounding areas in Bengaluru, and aged 23-24. Two of the accused work as office boys, one is an electrician and another is employed with a BPO.
Role of friend ruled out, says officer
A senior police officer said the role of her friend — who left her while the accused was still at the park — in the incident has been ruled out. At the time of the abduction, a few people were still at the park.
“When her friend told her he had to leave, the woman told him she would manage as there were still people around as it was around 10 pm. The accused took her in a Maruti 800 car, but no one seems to have paid attention to the incident or realised it was an abduction,” the officer said. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra was not available for comment.
‘Bengaluru unsafe under BJP’
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala took to Twitter stating Bengaluru is unsafe under BJP rule. “Another NIRBHAYA? #Bengaluru is one of the unsafest cities under BJP! TIME TO RETHINK. If u can’t go out of ur house safely, If u can’t go to a park safely, If u can’t meet with friends, If sexual assault & gang rape will scar ur soul in public places, Should u not vote out BJP?”