Three arrested for blackmailing, gangraping student on outskirts of Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Three people were arrested by the Magadi police in Bengaluru South district for allegedly blackmailing and gangraping a college student.

The police have arrested Vikas, 25, Prashant, 19, and Chetan, 28. Vikas and Prashanth were students while Chetan was married and working as an electrician, police said.

Police said the survivor was 19-year-old girl studying BCom in Bengaluru. Probe revealed that Vikas met her and after winning her confidence by claiming he was in love with her, had physical relation. Unbeknownst to the survivor, Vikas had videographed the act.

Vikas then sent the video to the girl on Instagram and began blackmailing, asking her to "co-operate" with two of his friends, failing which he would make the video public, the police said.

Scared, the survivor had met the suspects at a location suggested by them in hopes of convincing them to delete the video. However, the three allegedly gangraped her and recorded the act.

The blackmail continued and a few days ago, Vikas had shared the video on Instagram. The survivor then informed her family who met R Srinivas Gowda, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru South district on December 17 with a complaint.

Gowda directed the jurisdictional Magadi police to act and the investigators arrested the three suspects. Further probe is under way.