Karnataka police arrest 3 for assaulting teen in Yadgir, book victim after complaint from parents of minor girl

The three accused persons who have been arrested have been identified as Mallu alias Dolly, Shivu Naik, and Thayappa.

The Yadgir Town police are on the lookout for some other people accused in the case. They have been identified as Rupesh Koliwad, Ambarish, Adarsh Gowda, Pawan Kumar, and Bapu Solanki.

All of them have been booked for kidnapping, attempt to murder, assault using dangerous weapons, rioting, unlawful assembly, and wrongful restraint.

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The incident

According to the police, the incident occurred on Monday when Wahid Rehman, a BSc student at a private college in Yadgir Town, had gone to his college to collect his hall ticket for upcoming examinations.

As he came out of the college premises, he was accosted by two people who asked him who he was and then threatened him, telling him to hand over his phone.

When Rehman did not heed their words, they allegedly snatched his phone and a brief scuffle ensued.

The miscreants are alleged to have forcibly made him sit on a bike between the rider and the pillion-rider and took him near another educational institution named Jawahar Degree College.

Rehman observed that the bike was followed by a few others on their bikes. He was allegedly taken to a lane near the Yaqoob Bukhari Dargah and was beaten black and blue. The police said he was also attacked with pipes and a knife.

Rehman identified his assailants, even as they were abusing him in filthy language for getting close to girls from the other community.

One of the accused, Bapu Solanki, allegedly threatened Rehman with bodily harm.

The group of six people, after threatening him and warning him to distance himself from the girl from their community, fled the spot.

An injured Rehman went to a nearby mosque and refreshed himself. He cleaned his clothes, rested for around 10 minutes, and then returned home.

He then informed his family about the incident, after which he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The next day, Tuesday, he filed a complaint about the incident at the Yadgiri Town Police Station.

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Counter-complaint

Soon after the police began their inquiries with the accused, videos and several photographs involving Rehman and the minor girl from the Hindu community — both of whom had gone for outings recently — began circulating on social media.

After the videos and photos went viral, the family members of the minor girl and several others from their community approached the Yadgir All Women’s Police Station and filed a complaint against Rehman and 16 others for forcibly taking the minor girl with them in a car recently to the Hattikuni Dam in Yadgir.

The cops went through the videos, photographs, and other evidence provided by the minor girl’s parents, and recorded their statements.

The police then registered a case under Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, booking Rehman and 16 others, and are investigating further.

A senior police officer from Yadgir All Women’s Police Station told South First that Wahid was undergoing treatment under police vigil.

“However, we are yet to collect evidence against the others accused in the case. The investigations are underway,” added the officer.

Police sources told South First that the cops had gone through the videos and photographs, and also conducted inquiries with the girl and the friends who had gone for the outing.

The sources said the cops thereafter concluded that the girl was not forcibly taken to Hattikuni Dam, and that she had gone for the outing of her own volition.

“Since she is a minor, we have invoked appropriate sections of the POCSO ACT and are investigating further,” said the aforementioned senior officer.