Nine held for gang-rape

Prime suspect lived on the first floor of the girls rented house

The Ramanagara police have arrested nine persons, one of them a woman, in connection with the recent gang-rape of three bar girls in Jagajyothi Layout, Bidadi.

The prime suspect is Girish, who stayed on the first floor of the house with his parents. A college dropout, Girish used to sell SIM cards and was in need of money to start a mobile phone shop.

He hatched a conspiracy to rob the eight girls, who are employed at Casino Bar in Gandhinagar, and rented the house one-and-a-half month ago, the police said.
Girish sought the help of Jackie alias Hanumantarayappa, a rowdy.

Jackie and eight others ransacked the women’s house, assaulted three of them and abducted the five others on the night of October 19, the police added.

Among the arrested, Jaki alias Hanumantharayappa, 25, Nagesh alias Naga, 23, – both are painters, Prasanna alias Appi, 21, a cab driver, Shiva alias Shivakumar, 20, a peon, Kiran, 20, a carpenter, are residents of Sunkadakatte; Sanjay, 31, from Hoysalanagara; and Vishwa alias Vishwanatha, 21, is from Kolar.

The police also arrested Sudha, owner of the house on Magadi Road where the gang allegedly attempted to rape the five abducted women. 

The police have recovered six cellphones, a gold chain, an LCD television set which the men had taken away from the women’s house. Besides, they seized an air gun and weapons which they used to threaten the bar girls.

The police said they are yet to recover other valuables which the suspects have pawned in the City and a manhunt is launched for four other suspects.