In yet another incident in Bengaluru, a 22-year-old female BPO employee was allegedly kidnapped and raped by two men on a Tempo Traveler on Saturday night. Reports suggest that the men picked her up on the pretext of dropping her at her intended destination.
Police sources say that the incident allegedly occurred on Saturday night, when the victim was waiting for transport near Ayyappa temple junction in Madiwala to return home. The woman hailed from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and was staying at a PG accommodation elsewhere along with her younger sister.
Police say that the accused persons, who came in a Tempo Traveller van, noticed the victim standing alone and waiting for a drop back home. They stopped the vehicle and asked the victim if she needed a drop. They reportedly told her that they are going the same way and offered to drop her. After she boarded the vehicle, one of the accused threatened her with a knife and took her towards Domlur. They then went through Silk Board Junction, St Johns Hospital Road and other areas and then took her to an isolated area near Domlur and raped her. Later, they brought her to the same place near Ayyappa Temple, dropped her and fled from the scene. The miscreants also threatened the victim that they will eliminate her if she complained to the police about the incident.
According to Bangalore Mirror, the victim did a four-hour shift from 5.30-9.30 pm and reportedly took BMTC buses to travel to and from work. On the day of the incident, she walked to Hosur main road around 9:30 pm and was waiting for a BMTC bus to return home. However, she did not get a bus even after waiting for half-an-hour. This is when the Tempo Traveller pulled up in front of her, and asked her whether she needed a drop.
The report then states that, "Not suspecting any foul play, the victim got inside the vehicle alone, and saw at least three to four other passengers sitting in front, so she moved to a seat in the back. The remaining passengers reportedly got down well before the Ayyappaswamy temple bus stop near Madiwala police station, where she was due to alight."
When they neared her destination, the driver did not stop the bus stating it was a one-way and that they would take a U-turn and return to her destination. Since the girl was unfamiliar with the routes, she did not suspect any foul play. It is then that the man standing in front of the footboard allegedly started shutting all the windows and threatened to throw her off the vehicle if she shouted. The men later raped her for nearly three hours, adds the report.
The victim then contacted one of her friends and was rushed to a private hospital where she was admitted for treatment.
Police sources say that the Madiwala police have taken up the case and are investigating the matter to trace the accused. Police have collected CCTV footage from major traffic junctions in the area to find the vehicle and the accused duo.
The men allegedly warned the woman that if she complained to the police, she would be killed. They also snatched her mobile phone and removed the sim card, before returning the device.
DCP Rohini Katoch-Sepat told TOI that they have definite clues in the case and the men would be arrested soon. CCTV footage at all signals along the route taken by the vehicle are being analyzed. The vehicle bore an Indiranagar RTO registration board. Madiwala police have taken up the case.
Police commissioner NS Megharikh told TOI that it was a case of sexual assault and he is yet to ascertain whether it was indeed a gang rape. Home department sources said the family declined to file a complaint but had to be convinced into doing so.
The victim's statement was recorded by a judicial magistrate on Monday.
*This article has been updated