Two get 20-year RI for kidnap, rape of 17-year-old in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The additional district and sessions special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) has convicted two accused in a 2017 case involving the kidnapping and repeated rape of a 17-year-old girl.

The Fast Track Special Court-3 Judge in Bengaluru Rural district, Ramanaik, convicted accused No 1 Raghavendra and accused No 3 Sagar, and sentenced them to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on each.

The court also ordered compensation of Rs 7 lakh for the victim. Accused Nos 2 and 4 are still absconding. Special Public Prosecutor JR Ramesh conducted the prosecution that secured the conviction.

According to the prosecution, the incident occurred around 8pm on October 26, 2017, near Whitefield Railway Station, which comes under the jurisdiction of Kadugodi Police Station. The victim, a native of Odisha, was studying at a private college in KR Puram and was waiting for her friend.

Raghavendra and Sagar, who had gone to the railway station, allegedly misled the victim by telling her that her friend was at a lodge and had asked them to take her there.

They took her to Room No 6 of the lodge. When she did not find her friend there and questioned the duo, they allegedly told her to wait as her friend would arrive. When she went to the washroom, they locked the door and later raped her.

After some time, another accused, Manjunath, who is absconding, also allegedly raped her. When the victim screamed, accused No. 2, the lodge manager, came and enquired about the incident. The three accused allegedly told the manager, too, to have sexual intercourse with the victim and not to inform the police, the prosecution said in a press release issued on Friday.

The prosecution further stated that the accused wrongfully confined the victim in the room for 10 days, threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Later, the victim’s father filed a complaint with the Kadugodi police. The investigation was conducted by Inspectors H Jayaraj and Channesh, who filed a chargesheet under the POCSO Act and relevant sections of the IPC.

The trial was conducted against Raghavendra and Sagar. The judge found both accused guilty and convicted them.