Bengaluru molestation: Arrested confessed to crime, say cops
- Police have arrested 4 people in connection with the molestation of a girl near her home on New Year’s Eve.
- Police have not been able to trace the victim, who may have left the state.
- Families of 8 other people who were taken into custody staged protests.
Follow
The Bengaluru police on January 5 announced that they had arrested four people in connection with the molestation of a girl near her home in the wee hours of New Year’s Day. The suspects have reportedly confessed to their role in the crime, which occurred in the suburb of Kammanahalli. They had reportedly planned to kidnap and rape the victim.
See VIDEO: Woman groped, assaulted near home on New Year’s Eve
The prime accused has been identified as Ayyappa and his three accomplices Leno, Chinni, Somashekhar and Sudesh, all residents of Frazer Town. Leno and Ayyappa had followed the girl (who was with another girl in an auto) on their Honda Activa. After the victim got down from the auto, Leno approached the girl and tried to kiss her. But the girl bit him on the hand and tried to get away. When she did not cooperate and got violent, Leno hit her to the ground. Ayyappa was seated on the scooter and soon Leno climbed the bike and bothe spend away. Meanhwile, Raju and Chinnu were watching from a distance on their bikes.
Police said that the girl had arrived in the city just a week ago. The police got a clue when the CCTV owner Prashanth Francis voluntarily submitted the footage. Prashant, who works for a private firm, had installed the device for the protection of his car. He voluntarily approached the police after he saw footage of the assault.
The police had initially picked up 12 people in connection with the incident. They were taken to the Banaswadi Police Station for questioning on January 4, where they were questioned by a special team led by Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police. Police also examined footage from 30 CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the crime spot.
Eight of the suspects were released after police understood that they were not linked to the incident. Their families had also staged protests outside the Banasawadi Police Station. The families claimed that the suspects were being made scapegoats because of the public outrage over the incidents.
However, it is unclear how investigations will proceed as the victim has reportedly left the state. The girl was studying in a college in Banaswadi and stayed in Lawrence Road in Kammanahalli. When police visited her rented accommodation, they found that she had vacated the premises and her phone was switched off. Police suspect that as she hails from a neighbouring state, the girl may have left Karnataka. However, the police are trying to contact her for the identification of the suspects.
