Mysuru Gangrape Case: Absconding Sixth Accused Arrested From Tamil Nadu

The arrested accused revealed the involvement of yet another seventh accused in the case during the interrogation.

A file photo of an anti-rape candle march. Image used for representational purpose.

(Photo: The Quint)

A sixth accused allegedly involved in the gang rape of a medical student in Mysuru has been arrested in Tamil Nadu.

Without divulging the accused man’s name, police sources told news agency PTI that the man, who had been at large, was also arrested from Tirupur, based on a tip-off on Monday, 30 August, night.

The arrested accused have revealed the involvement of yet another accused, the seventh in the case, during interrogation, police have said. Presently, he is at large and teams have been formed for his arrest too.

The incident of gang rape had taken place in the outskirts of Mysuru at the foothills of Chamundi hill near Lalithadripura locality on 24 August. They had accosted the college student and her boyfriend and tried to rob them, demanding Rs 3 lakh ransom. When they did not get money, the accused had allegedly gang-raped the student.

The special investigating teams probing Mysuru gang rape case had arrested five persons including a juvenile from Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, 28 August.

The gang reportedly had executed more than 20 crimes including robbery, burglary, loot, and smuggling sandalwood. They were primarily labourers, who were into wiring, carpentry, driving, and construction work, the police said. Bus tickets, liquor bottles near the crime scene and mobile phone data are said to have led the police to the gang.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has stated that the police department cannot force the victim of gang rape to record her statement. "We will not insist on the victim," he reiterated. It has come to light in the investigations that the accused were involved in a series of crimes like road robberies, molestation cases. Further investigation is on.

(This story was first published in The News Minute and then republished here with permission.)