4 men kidnap, rape 17-yr-old girl for 8 days in Bengaluru lodge; accused held
Bengaluru: The KR Puram police arrested four people on charges of rape, kidnapping and confinement of a 17-year-old girl.
The police rescued the girl from a lodge in Whitfield, where she was allegedly confined by the accused and raped for eight days.
According to the police, the girl, a PU student, left home for college on October 26 telling her parents that she would go to her friend’s house for a party after finishing college. The girl visited her friend’s house and stayed there for two days.
On October 28, when she was standing near Kadugodi Railway Station, Raghavendra (27), who was familiar with the girl, allegedly enticed her and took her to a lodge in Whitefield.
Meanwhile, the girl's parents who were worried after their daughter did not return home even after four days and learning from her friend that she had left her house on October 28, lodged a missing complaint with the KR Puram police on October 30.
Raghavendra, who took the girl to the lodge, allegedly raped her along with his two friends Sagar (22) and Manu Raj (32).
Later, the lodge owner, Manoranjan Pandit (52), too joined Raghavendra and his friends and allegedly raped the girl.
The KR Puram police, who had registered a case of kidnapping, formed a team to search the missing girl.
During the investigation, the police got a tip-off that the girl was in a lodge. On November 4, the police raided the lodge and rescued the girl from one of the rooms. Later, the police nabbed the accused based on the complaint filed by the girl.
The police booked the accused under Sections 376D (gang rape) 368 (wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person), 363 (kidnapping), 343 (wrongful confinement if any person for three days, or more), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 506 (criminal intimidation), of IPC along with Sections 4 and 6 of POCSO Act.
According to police, anyone having sex with a minor girl, even if it is consensual, amounts to rape and staying with her amounts to confinement.
