Techie, male friend assaulted twice; cops act late

A late dinner for a 24-year-old software engineer and her friend turned into a nightmare when they were assaulted not just once, but twice by the same group of people in Indiranagar.

Though the incident happened on May 9, the Jeevan Bhima Nagar police only registered the complaint recently, after a nudge from senior officials.

Sunil Hosamani, in his complaint, said that on May 9 around 2 am he, along with his friend had gone to Empire Hotel, Indiranagar, for dinner. While they were returning home, two men passed objectionable comments at his friend and pulled her hair. He got down from his bike and questioned them. The accused, in turn, punched him and started gagging the woman for she had raised an alarm. However, they soon fled the scene.

Soon after, Sunil noticed that a gang of seven men were following them. The group waylaid them and dragged him and his friend inside the playground of a nearby government school, where they assaulted him with a brick. Then they started pulling at the woman's clothes. But hearing her cries for help, a passer-by rescued her.

The gang also made away with Rs 4,000 from Sunil by threatening him with a knife, he said.

Sunil said that the duo called the police helpline after the first assault. The police reached the spot, but refused to take action against the miscreants, and let them go. "It was after this that the group attacked us again," Sunil said.

"I took my friend to a hospital and later dropped her home. I, then went to the police station, but the Jeevan Bhima Nagar police refused to register a complaint citing shortage of staff. They said that all personnel were deployed on election duty. In the next three days, I went five times, but they did not register a complaint. It was only after I complained to a senior officer that the JB Nagar police registered a case on May 16," he said.

He further added that even when he gave the registration number of one of the accused's bike, the police did not show any interest in arresting them.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Ajay Hilori, DCP (East), said, "There was delay in taking up the case and an inquiry is being conducted for the reasons behind it, and also the person responsible for the delay. The accused will be traced and arrested."