HYDERABAD: A midnight search operation in areas surrounding Nallagandla Lake helped Cyberabad Police nab four teenagers involved in a gang-rape attempt on a 19-year-old student from University of Hyderabad on late Friday evening on the campus.
The suspects, all juveniles, include two old offenders who were involved in robbery, mobile and bike theft cases in the recent past. They had come towards the lake with an intention to snatch money and belongings from the visitors, but on noticing the girl, they sexually assaulted her. They also tried to kill her friend by strangulating him with the girl’s waist belt. However, when the two raised an alarm and the girl’s friend fought back, the suspects threatened them to not approach the police and fled from the spot with the boy’s mobile.
“If the girl’s friend had not fought them back, the situation would have been worse,” police said.
“Though he was severely beaten up, he countered them,” police said. A case under charges of gang-rape attempt, attempt to murder and robbery have been booked against the criminals.
The teens came to the high rocks with an intention to snatch valuables from visitors. They initially demanded the victims to give money, but when the victims denied, they started making advances with the girl.
When the victims rushed to their scooter to escape, the boys chased them, pushed them off the vehicle and attacked the boy with sticks and fist blows. They even hit him with stones. They also pulled out the girl’s belt and strangulated him due to which he fell unconscious.
Later, they tore the girl’s clothes and sexually assaulted her and beat her when she resisted. The boy, who recovered after sometime, fought and saved the girl.
High rocks deserted, dimly lit
High rocks where the attempt to gang-rape a teenager occurred is a frequent relaxation spot of students in Unive-rsity of Hyderabad, but is isolated. “Though there is a thoroughfare towards the hillocks, there is not a single street light. You never know how unsafe an area is until something like this happens. We normally light up the way using headlights of our vehicles. It is quite inside the campus and people hang out after travelling more than 10 km as well,” says Meghna D., a student.
While the security officials of the University claim that they had already sent proposals to increase the height of the compound wall, at least in vulnerable locations, the proposals continue to be pending despite repeated requests to the authorities.
However, students say that the claims of the university of having set up signboards is false.
UoH chief security officer T.V. Rao said that they patrol the campus round-the-clock, but with a vast area, it is becoming difficult.
“Installation of CCTV cameras on the campus was also opposed by some students,” he said, further adding that the-re are proposals to increase the wall’s height and to fix sharp glass pieces on the top to minimise the problem.
