Bengaluru: Habitual molester who targeted women staying in PG held after shootout

Bengaluru: A 31-year-old rape accused, who used to target women staying in PG accommodations, was shot at by the police after he attacked them when they went to nab him.

The incident was reported on Marathahalli Outer Ring Road on Tuesday evening. Four policemen sustained knife attack injuries.

The accused, Shivarama Reddy, is a resident of Avalahalli in Hoskote taluk of Bengaluru Rural district and is currently undergoing treatment for bullet injuries at a hospital.

HAL police inspector Sadiq Pasha, Bommanahalli police inspector Manjunath, sub inspector Anand and head constable Manjunath got injured and they were also undergoing treatment.

According to the police, two incidents of molestation and extortion were reported in two PG accommodations in HAL police station limits on March 2 and 4. Going by the modus operandi, the police zeroed in on Reddy. He was released from jail last December, and has been accused of multiple rapes, and the police were tracking his movements.

“The police intercepted him at BWSSB area behind Prestige Tech Park. Despite being told to surrender, Reddy pulled out a knife and attacked cops. In self-defence inspector Manjunath opened two rounds of fire from his service pistol and Reddy was injured in his leg. The injured Reddy and policemen were rushed to hospital,” the police said.

Reddy was involved in more than 10 cases of extortion, robbery, theft, attempt to murder, molestation and rape. His modus operandi is to enter girls/women’s PG accommodations or hostels and carry out extortion, theft, molestation and rape.

In June 2014, Reddy had entered a PG accommodation in Doddathogur and had raped a 25-year-old software engineer. Sensing threat to public order following the incident, the police had detained him under the provisions of the Goonda Act in August 2014.