Mangaluru: Several months after a dalit girl was allegedly raped in a private college in Dakshina Kannada district, five students of the college were arrested yesterday.
The incident came to light after the video of the act was circulated on social media this week. Based on the footage, the district police registered a case at the Puttur women’s police station. Two teams were formed to trace and arrest the culprits.
According to media reports, the police intimated the college of the arrest of Gurunandan and Sunil of Puttur and Prajwal, Kishan and Prakhyath from Bantwal. All the accused were 19 years old and were charged under IPC 341 (wrongful restraint), 376 (d) (gang rape), the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and IT Act.
The five had taken the girl in a car to a forest area and allegedly raped her and recorded the act. They also threatened the victim with the video.
The public were issued a warning by the District superintendent of police B M Laxmi Prasad not to share the video on social media as it would amount to a criminal offence under 354 (c) of IPC (Voyeurism) and provisions of the IT act.