Karnataka Horror: Woman Drugged, 'Gang-raped', Filmed; WhatsApp Video Leads to 10 Arrests

A 41-year-old woman was allegedly drugged, gang-raped and filmed, leading to the arrest of 10 accused persons in Karnataka's Davangere district, police officials said on Tuesday. The incident reportedly took place on the evening of June 3 in a village under the Basavapatna police station limits. However, the alleged crime remained hidden for several days and came to light only after a video purportedly showing the woman in an intoxicated condition surfaced across multiple WhatsApp groups on June 8.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the survivor, police launched an investigation and arrested all 10 individuals named in the FIR.

According to the complaint, the woman had left her home following a domestic dispute and was walking towards her village when two men approached her, offering assistance. Police allege that the men gave her a soft drink suspected to have been laced with a sedative, causing her to lose consciousness.

Police said the woman was then allegedly taken to an isolated farm on the outskirts of the village, where several men had gathered. The survivor has accused the group of sexually assaulting her and recording photographs and videos while she was in an intoxicated state.

The alleged crime surfaced publicly after villagers informed the woman that videos related to the incident were being circulated online. She then approached police and filed a formal complaint.

Based on her statement, police registered a case under Sections 70 (gang rape), 77 (voyeurism) and 190 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in pursuit of a common object) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

Davangere Superintendent of Police Shekhar HT confirmed the arrests, stating, "We have secured all 10 accused in the case. Further investigation is underway."

As part of the probe, investigators examined the alleged crime scene to reconstruct the sequence of events and preserve forensic evidence. The survivor has also undergone a medical examination.

Police said the mobile phones of the accused have been seized and are being analysed to trace the origin, sharing patterns and circulation of the videos.