A police constable attached to Bengaluru’s Bommanahalli police station was arrested by the Mico Layout police for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old rape survivor on the pretext of assisting her. The accused, identified as Arun Thonepa, was taken into custody along with Vicky, the survivor’s neighbour, against whom a separate complaint was filed.
In December 2024, the victim and her mother had visited the Bommanahalli police station to file a complaint against Vicky, a neighbour who had allegedly sexually assaulted her daughter. According to the FIR, Vicky had promised to marry the minor and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. In May 2024, he allegedly physically assaulted and threatened her.
Constable Arun Thonepa, who was assigned to assist the victim and her mother, allegedly gained the victim’s trust by promising to help with the case and even find her a job. Over the course of a week, the constable reportedly took the minor to a hotel room in BTM Layout three times, where he allegedly raped her after making her consume alcohol.
The FIR further states that the constable threatened the minor, claiming he had videos of her which he would release on social media if she disclosed the incident.
The Mico Layout police have booked both Arun and Vicky under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and under rape and criminal intimidation charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.