Bengaluru Police file hit & run case against sexual assault victim

Bengaluru, Aug 20 (IANS) In a twist to the sexual assault case involving a graduate student from Nagaland in Bengaluru, the traffic police have booked her for driving under the influence of alcohol and causing a series of accidents.An FIR has been filed against the student at the Adugodi traffic police station based on a complaint against her, police sources said on Tuesday.

According to the police, the victim, a BCA graduate, was driving in an inebriated state after partying at a pub in the Koramangala locality on August 17. Unable to drive properly under the influence of alcohol, she collided with two auto-rickshaws and a motorcycle near Mangala Junction. After hitting the vehicles, she did not stop and drove away.The auto drivers whose vehicles were damaged, chased her vehicle and eventually managed to stop it. The victim then engaged in a heated argument with the auto drivers. When a police patrol vehicle arrived at the scene, her male friend sent her away to avoid complications. The woman left the scene by taking a ride on a motorcycle and managed to escape.

Her friend later pacified the enraged auto drivers and began searching for her. Meanwhile, the victim got off the motorcycle and boarded another two-wheeler. The accused scooter rider, 24-year-old Mukheshwaran aka Mukesh, a resident of Audugodi in Bengaluru, took her to an isolated place and sexually assaulted her.

The victim, a final-year BCA graduate, is currently receiving treatment at a hospital. She resisted the sexual assault, leaving scratches all over the accused's face. In a state of shock, she sent an emergency message to her friend, who then informed others and tracked her location.The victim was found naked behind a truck. Her friends noticed a stranger at the scene, but when they tried to question him, he fled. They then admitted her to a hospital in Bommasandra.

The preliminary investigation has confirmed that the victim was in an inebriated state. The police have formed five teams to apprehend the accused.

Police sources stated that they would question the victim about the hit-and-run case only after she had fully recovered.

Meanwhile, the police investigating the sexual assault case reviewed footage from 150 CCTV cameras installed along a 10-kilometre stretch from where the suspect picked up the young woman to the crime scene. A team of 40 officers collected 1,000 phone numbers that were active at the two locations. The accused was tracked down after the colour of his scooter was identified and his mobile number was confirmed at the crime scene.