Daijiworld Media Network - Moodbidri

Moodbidri, July 15: In a shocking incident that has sent waves of outrage across the state, two college lecturers and their friend have been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student. The accused, including faculty members from a college in Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada district, were taken into custody by Marathahalli police in Bengaluru after a case was registered against them.

How the crime unfolded

One of the accused, a physics lecturer, allegedly groomed the student under the pretext of providing study notes. He maintained contact with her over WhatsApp even after she moved to Bengaluru. Exploiting her trust, he lured her to a friend’s room in Marathahalli under the same pretext and sexually assaulted her, later threatening her into silence.

Representational image

The second accused, a biology lecturer, also attempted to assault the victim. When she resisted, he blackmailed her using photos and videos of her with the first accused, threatening to leak them in college if she did not comply.

The third accused, a friend of the lecturers, allegedly intimidated the survivor by falsely claiming there were CCTV recordings of her in his room and later assaulted her as well.

Justice sought

After enduring relentless threats, the traumatized student confided in her family, who took her to the Women’s Commission for counseling before filing a police complaint. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act (if the victim is a minor).

Police are investigating whether there are more victims.