Daijiworld Media Network - Sirsi
Sirsi, May 26: The police have arrested members of a gang involved in befriending young women in the coastal districts of Udupi and Uttara Kannada, taking photos of them under the guise of love, editing these photos into obscene images, and using them to threaten and rape the victims. During the arrest, the suspects pelted stones at the police, injuring three officers. One female accomplice managed to escape.
The incident occurred in Malali village, Sirsi taluk, Uttara Kannada district, when police attempted to arrest the suspects with a warrant. The suspects are linked to multiple cases of rape and fraud in the state's coastal regions. Shockingly, the mother of the main accused was found to be complicit in her son's criminal activities.
Arjun alias Arjun Laxman Gowda (27) is the main accused in the rape case. He has been charged with rape at the Banavasi police station and faces additional charges under the IT Act at the Sirsi police station. Furthermore, a case has been registered against him at the Kundapura police station in Udupi district. Arjun used social media to flirt with attractive girls from the coast, obtain their mobile numbers, and develop intimate relationships through video calls.
Arjun would then take the women on dates and secretly take photos of them, some during private moments. He would edit these photos into obscene images and use them to blackmail the women into repeated sexual acts. His relative, Balachandra Gowda, assisted in the scheme and also blackmailed some victims for money. Their criminal activities were reportedly supported by Arjun's mother, Nagaveni Laxman Gowda.
Police attacked during arrest
As the police moved to arrest Arjun Gowda, he and his relatives attacked the officers with stones and house tiles, injuring three policemen from Banavasi police station: K Jagadeesha, P Manjappa, and D Manjunath Naduvinamane, who have been hospitalised.
Despite the resistance, the police managed to arrest Arjun Gowda. However, Balachandra Gowda attempted to escape by consuming rat poison but was later caught and admitted to the hospital. Nagaveni Laxman Gowda remains at large.
A case has been registered at Sirsi Rural police station, and the investigation is ongoing.