Karnataka Women's Commission head visits crime spot, dubs gangrape 'act of shame'

Prameela Naidu, chairperson of State Women's Commission, visited the crime spot where gang rape took place in Mysuru. She claims that police are gathering enough evidences to book the culprits, although no arrests have been made yet.

Mysuru: Prameela Naidu, chairperson of State Women's Commission, visited the crime spot on Thursday where gang rape took place in Mysuru. Speaking to the media she said, "The police said that they have gathered 34 evidences in connection with the gangrape case. The investigation is going on. Suo moto case has been registered in the Women's Commission. This is an act of shame and such kind of acts should not take place. Chief Minister Bommai has directed the accused to be harshly punished".

"I tried to speak to the victim but I couldn't since doctor's advised me against it. However, doctors gave information about her health. Both the young man and the victim are in utter shock. It may take two or three days for them to return to normal mood. Doctors said the young man's forehead was badly injured," Prameela Naidu said.

The National Commission for Women has taken suo moto cognizance of gang rape and pointed out that no accused has been arrested in the case yet. NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma wrote to the Director-General of Police, Karnataka urging him to take stringent action against the accused. Similarly, the matter was also taken up to the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Women.

NCW demanded that the victim must be provided with medical and counselling support along with necessary compensation to the survivor as per the rules of the Victim Compensation Scheme enumerated under Section 357A of Criminal Procedure Code, 1972.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order Division) Pratap Reddy has arrived at the site of the incident in Lalithadripura road. Sources said that police have decided to collect CCTV footage from wine shops in the vicinity of Chamundi Hills. City Police Commissioner Chandragupta provided information to ADGP Pratap Reddy.

According to sources, the miscreants recorded the visual of the victim and her friend spending time in Chamundi Hills and demanded Rs 3 lakh from them. The duo agreed to make the payment and as they failed to pay by 2 pm, the miscreants committed the heinous crime. The woman was gang-raped, while her friend was assaulted. Later, they escaped from the spot after taking the victim's phone.

The victim's friend who accompanied her informed the police that the miscreants were in an inebriated state. Police were informed that the perpetrators were natives, all of them were aged between 20-30 years old and Kannada speakers. Beer bottles were also traced on the spot.

Meanwhile, both the woman and her friend are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Police registered an FIR at the Alanahalli Police Station on the basis of the statement of the victim on Tuesday.

"The FIR has been lodged at the Alanahalli Police Station on the allegations of sexual assault on the young lady and the accused will be arrested soon," city Police Commissioner Dr Chandragupta said, adding, that it is a delicate matter and information cannot be disclosed at this point of time. He also said that the case has been taken up on priority basis and all the related information has been obtained from the victim's boyfriend.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressing concern on the issue said that the victim has been admitted to the hospital and a case has been registered based on the statement of the victim. "I have instructed the DGP to take stringent action against the culprits," Bommai added.