Widow files complaint against three of rape in bus in Karnataka's Vijayanagar

Vijayanagar Superintendent of Police Shrihari Babu B L said that based on the complaint, the police arrested the three persons and sent them to judicial custody.

Vijayanagar: A 28-year-old widow, a resident of Lokkur village in Belagavi district, has accused the driver and conductor of a private bus and a third person of allegedly raping her near Chennapur village in Vijayanagar district on March 31.

According to a complaint filed by the survivor at Arasikere police station, she, along with her children, was travelling back to Davangere in the private bus after participating in the Uchangidurga fair, when the three suspects allegedly raped her in the vehicle.

While initially the survivor filed a complaint of assault and outrage of her modesty against the three persons, she returned to the police station later in the day on April 1 to file a complaint of sexual assault and SC/ST atrocity case against the three accused.

Highly placed sources in the Vijayanagar police told DH that she pressed the additional charges against the accused persons after pro-Dalit organisations got involved in the case.

Vijayanagar Superintendent of Police Shrihari Babu B L told DH that based on the complaint, the police arrested the three persons and sent them to judicial custody.

“Medical samples of the survivor and the accused persons have been sent for examination and based on the reports, further action will be taken,” he said.

The police, as of now, have registered a case under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt to someone); 75(2) (sexual harassment); 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) and sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.