Minor girl gang raped in Karnataka while waiting for a bus, allegedly by 3 drivers

The accused allegedly took her into a bus and raped her.
Minor girl gang raped in Karnataka while waiting for a bus, allegedly by 3 drivers
Minor girl gang raped in Karnataka while waiting for a bus, allegedly by 3 drivers
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by Shivani Singh

Three bus drivers/conductors, Raghavendra Prabhakara Badigera (35), Yuvraj Kattekaar (35) and Veeraiyya R. Hiremath (41) were arrested for the alleged gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl from Udupi, Karnataka on July 9. The accused were arrested from Ranebennur and Hirekerur bus stations in Haveri district.

On July 6, the victim’s parents had lodged an FIR at the women’s police station in Udupi as their daughter had been missing since the previous morning. The girl was later found at the Sanjay Nagar Police Station in Bengaluru and brought back to Udupi on July 8.

According to the victim, she was visiting her friend in Ranebennur and was waiting for a bus at the Ranebennur bus stand late at night on July 6. Raghavendra lured her to an empty KSRTC bus at the depot and forced himself upon her. After him, the other two accused also raped her.

On the basis of the victim’s statement, a case was filed under IPC Sections 363 (Punishment for kidnapping), 376 (D) (rape of a woman by one or more persons constituting a group or acting in furtherance of a common intention), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) and Sections 4, 6 of POCSO (Protection of Children against Sexual Offences) Act, 2012. Owing to the sensitivity of the matter, the case has been fast-tracked to the Udupi District Sessions Court.

Although the initial FIR was lodged at Women’s Police Station, the investigation was led by K T Balakrishna, Superintendent of Police, Udupi and his team.  Naveenchandra Jogi, Circle Inspector, Udupi who is involved in the investigation said that there was a minimal delay during the primary investigation. Due to the POCSO Act, certain details pertaining to the case are being kept confidential.

The accused are currently being held at the Hiriyadka Jail in Udupi district.

This article was originally published in The Manipal Journal.

Main image by Aditya Mopur [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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