Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Jan 27: If happenings are indications of anything, then 6 rape cases in last one month in the undivided district of Dakshina Kannada, are a bad omen for the women folk in the district.  A place which was known to be safe for the women, is fast climbing the ladder of crime against women.  Unless the concerned authorities and the residents of the district wake up in time, something worse could follow.

Here there is one more rape case now.  The Highway Patrol Police on Thursday January 26 arrested one-person accused of raping a young woman at Tannirbavi beach near here on Wednesday January 11.  He has been identified as Mohammad Nawaz (25)  alias Imtiaz of Bengre here. He has already been produced before the court.

The rape victim Shabana (the name has been changed to protect her identity) is a resident of Akkarepadpu near Konaje here.  A person with a name Imtiaz used to call her up on her cell phone for sometime.  Though this young woman had not seen him, she too continued to be in touch with him over the cell phone.  On January 11, her 'mobile friend' called her and asked her to come to Tokkottu.  Thereafter, he brought her to the city where both went to an ice cream parlour.

After that, when Shabana asked him to leave her home, he persuaded her to go to Tannirbavi beach for a stroll.  However, after going to Tannirbavi he took her behind the IOCL Company premises and raped her.  Thereafter, he snatched her cell phone and fled the place.

Shabana later reached home with the help of some persons.  It was only after a couple of days that she disclosed the matter to her family members.  But she did not know anything about the accused except his name.  But there were all the chances that he had bluffed her by telling some other name than his actual one.  The subsequent police enquiry too proved this.

But based on the information given by Shabana about his physical appearance and STD booth numbers from where he used to call her up, the police confirmed that the accused could be from the city limits.  It was only on Thursday January 26 that they arrested the accused Mohammad Nawaz (25) alias Imtiaz, a resident of Bengre.  He confessed his crime during the interrogation.  The police have also recovered Shabana's cell phone from him.