Karnataka Police Arrest 4 After Video of Sexual Assault on Dalit Woman Surfaces

According to police, the woman was abducted by the accused from a bus stop and was gangraped in a field.

An anti-rape protest. Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Yet another incident of violence against women has surfaced in Karnataka after a video of four men stripping a Dalit woman besides physically and sexually assaulting her was shared across social media. In the video, the woman is heard pleading with the men to not assault her. The men, in the video, accuse her of stealing gold jewelry.

According to the police, the incident took place in Shahapur taluk of Yadgir district in Hyderabad-Karnataka region about eight to nine months ago. Reacting to the video doing the rounds, police have arrested the four men who were seen in the video.

Speaking to TNM, District Superintendent of Police CB Vedhamurthy, said, “The four have been taken into police custody. Further investigation is underway. The case will be pursued by the Shahpur police station and investigation will continue. All the accused knew each other and were running small businesses and doing odd jobs.”

"Other than relevant sections of rape and assault, the accused will be slapped with the Prevention of Atrocities (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes) Act, 1989,” he added.

Further probe has led the police to the survivor and authorities are trying to ascertain further details.

The SP said that the woman will officially lodge a complaint with the police. According to police, she was abducted by the accused from a bus stop and was gangraped in a field.

Further Rs 5,000 in cash and her mobile phone were also stolen.

In the last week of August, two incidents of horrific violence against women were reported from the state. In Mysuru, an MBA student was gangraped and assaulted near Chamundi Hills on 24 August by a group of seven men. Her partner, too, was assaulted. In that incident, the police arrested six of the accused from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and another accused is absconding.

On the same day, a woman was found dead in a hillock in Tumakuru district. The woman’s kin had alleged that the woman was also raped and a post mortem report had confirmed the same. However in that case, police failed to make any headway due to lack of eyewitnesses and electronic surveillance.

(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute)