Bengaluru engineering student rapes friend in men's washroom
What's the story
A 21-year-old engineering student, Jeevan Gowda, has been arrested for allegedly raping a fellow student in the men's washroom of a private engineering college in Bengaluru. The incident took place on October 10 and was reported five days later by the survivor, a seventh-semester student of the same institution. An FIR has been filed under Section 64 (Punishment for Rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Assault account
What the FIR states
According to the FIR, Gowda and the survivor were classmates until he fell behind academically. On October 10, she met him to collect some belongings. During lunch break, he called her several times, asking to meet on the seventh floor. When she arrived, he allegedly tried to forcibly kiss her and followed her to the sixth floor before dragging her into the washroom, where he raped her. Following the incident, Gowda called her, allegedly asking if she "needed a pill."
Aftermath
Survivor confided in friends, parents
The survivor later confided in two friends and later informed her parents, although she was distressed and frightened. They then took her to Hanumanthanagar police station to file a complaint. A crime scene reconstruction was conducted on Thursday as part of the investigation. Cops said that no CCTV cameras were installed on the floor where the incident occurred, posing a challenge for evidence collection. However, forensic and digital evidence is being analyzed by authorities.
Political response
BJP slams Congress government over rising crime graph
The incident has drawn sharp political criticism, especially from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Legislative Assembly, slammed the ruling Congress government for failing to maintain law and order. He said, "The law and order in Karnataka has collapsed," citing 979 sexual assaults on girls in four months. Ashoka also urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to send a fact-finding team to Karnataka.