Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri (SP)

Moodbidri, Feb 22: In an incident which happened on Monday February 20 afternoon at Guddeangady near Puthige here, a youth from Nagarakatte in the town tried to rape a lady of Bihar origin. Several locals rushed to the woman's rescue and handed over the culprit to the police.

The accused has been identified as Sudheer (27) from here, who works as an employee of an outlet selling cellphones. The police, who registered the rape case under section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, produced Sudheer in the court on Tuesday. The court remanded him to 14 days judicial custody.

It is said that Sudheer was drunk while he rode his motor bike through Guddeangady. On the way, he came across the house of a woman working as domestic help at Kodyadka, behaved indecently with her, and pulled her clothes in an effort to denude her, it is said. The police arrested the accused on the basis of the woman's complaint.

It is said that the locals had brought pressure on the department concerned and recently got the toddy shop that was located near the house where the victim and her husband reside. The accused had approached the house of the victim to know the whereabouts of the toddy shop three days back. On Monday, he came to her house again and sought drinking water. Then he rushed into the house, pulled at the lady's hands, and offered to pay her handsomely if she cooperated with him. When she protested, he pulled at the nightie she was wearing. The woman threw chilli powder into his eyes, and raised an alarm. Sudheer immediately ran away, leaving the shoes he was wearing behind and fled on his motor bike.

The neighbours of the lady started searching for the offender. Some people who identified him on the basis of missing footwear, beat him up before handing him over to the police.