Bengaluru: In a shocking incident, a 22-year-old Northeastern girl was abducted, taken to an under construction site by a 24-year-old rowdy on the night of April 23, just metres away from her paying guest accommodation. Even more shocking was the reaction of local residents, who neither came to the rescue of the girl, nor did they alert the police, though she raised an alarm.
The entire incident was captured in a CCTV camera, put up at the PG accommodationat Kathriguppe in C.K. Achchukattu police limits. Kalyani (name change), who hails from Manipur and works at a private beauty clinic, had returned from her work from Kalyan Nagar and was standing near her PG when she was grabbed from behind by the accused while she was on a call with a friend around 9.50 pm.
Caught on CCTV: Woman in Bengaluru dragged and kidnapped in public viewhttps://t.co/9U0AwKUneb
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She told Deccan Chronicle, “I finish my work by 9-9.30 pm and reach my PG around 9.45 pm. On the night of April 23 too, after work, my friend dropped me on the main road near Maramma Temple.
We spoke for sometime and then as he left, he called me to make sure that I had entered the PG. I was on a call with him when suddenly this man came from behind and took me to the lane behind my PG. I was screaming for help and he punched me in the face. I fainted and regained my consciousness only after 10 minutes.”
She said, “The man had covered my mouth with his hand. I bit his palm and he was taken aback. When I again started screaming, he got scared and ran away, abusing me in Kannada.”
Kalyani spoke to her PG mates and approached her PG owner, asking him to lodge a police complaint. “The owner called the police and the same night a constable on a patrolling bike came and spoke to me about the incident in the presence of my PG owner and one of his relatives,” she said.
But when the policeman asked her to file a complaint, the PG owner intervened and stopped her. Asked what took her so long to file the complaint, she said, “I could not bear to remain quiet, as it was killing me. After talking to my friends and consulting with my sister in Delhi, I decided to come out and narrate my ordeal. This man could attack another girl like me. He was certainly trying to sexually assault me, as he did not try to steal my valuables.”
She said that her parents in Manipur are not aware of the incident. “The very next day, I changed my PG as I was scared. The man who molested me had covered his face with a monkey cap and I couldn’t see his face.”
Home Minister Dr Parameshwar said, “I have sought information from the police officials. An internal inquiry has been initiated and action will be taken if any lapses are found on the part of the police. We are taking big measures to make the city safe.”
Kalyani, the survivor, came to the city around nine years ago. She studied in a private college in the city and later started working in a private beauty clinic. She was sharing her room with a girl from Haryana at the PG. Fifteen other girls stayed in the PG.
Arrested man a rowdy
City Police Commissioner N.S. Megharikh said that the attacker is a rowdy, Akshay. “Our team arrested him based on the CCTV footage and the information provided by the local residents, who had seen him in the area.
He was harassing the local residents regularly. He was arrested around 8 pm on Monday. Akshay was involved in an attempt to murder case in C.K. Achhukatu in 2014. He is also a cab driver.”
DCP Lokesh Kumar said that the PG owner Manjunath has explained in his complaint filed on Monday that soon after the incident when the police were alerted, they visited the PG. However, no complaint was lodged as the victim did not want to immediately pursue the matter fearing consequences.
“The PG Owner has stated that the girl left the PG to go to a relative’s house the very next day but did not return. He said he too saw her on TV only on Monday,” he said.
Timeline
9.50 pm, April 23: Vicitm crosses the road to get into the PG after being dropped by her friend.
9.51 pm, April 23: She is talking on her mobile phone when the accused, rowdy Akshay, grabs her and drags her into an under-construction building near her PG accommodation.
Around 10 pm: The victim escapes from the accused as people watch. She reaches the PG accommodation and narrates the ordeal with the manger.
May 2: Police registers a complaint.
