Engineering Student Arrested for Rape on Bengaluru Campus: Victim Delayed Reporting Due to Fear

Following the assault, the victim shared her experience with two fellow students.

Bengaluru:

Police arrested a 21-year-old engineering student for allegedly raping a fellow student in a men's restroom on the campus of a South Bengaluru private engineering institution.

Authorities identified the suspect as Jeevan Gowda, a sixth-semester student who was apprehended on Wednesday and subsequently placed in judicial custody. The alleged assault occurred on October 10, while the victim—a seventh-semester student at the same institution—filed her report five days later on October 15.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), authorities have registered the case under Section 64 (Punishment for Rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The FIR states that the victim and accused were previously classmates until Gowda fell behind academically due to incomplete coursework. On the day of the incident, the victim had met with Gowda earlier to retrieve personal belongings.

During lunch break, Gowda reportedly called her multiple times, requesting she meet him near the seventh-floor architecture block. Upon her arrival, he allegedly attempted to forcibly kiss her. When she tried to escape via elevator, he reportedly followed her to the sixth floor, pulled her into a men's washroom, and sexually assaulted her.

The report indicates that Gowda locked the washroom door and seized her phone when it rang during the assault. The incident allegedly transpired between 1:30 pm and 1:50 pm.

After the assault, the victim confided in two friends. The FIR also documents that Gowda later contacted her, allegedly asking, "Do you need a pill?"

Police reported that the woman initially hesitated to report the incident due to distress and fear. She subsequently informed her parents, who accompanied her to file a complaint at the Hanumanthanagar police station.

Authorities conducted a crime scene reconstruction on Thursday.

Police confirmed the absence of surveillance cameras on the floor where the incident occurred, potentially complicating evidence collection. However, investigators are examining forensic and digital evidence.

The incident has triggered strong political responses, particularly from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has criticized the ruling Congress government over what it describes as Karnataka's deteriorating law and order situation.

In a social media statement, R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, declared: "The law and order in Karnataka has collapsed. In just four months, there have been 979 sexual assaults on girls. Bengaluru alone has reported over 114 cases. Our women and children are living in fear due to the state government's criminal inaction. From the brutal rape and murder of a tribal girl in Mysuru to the tragic suicide of a librarian in Kalaburagi - this is a moral and administrative failure."

He added that he has written an urgent letter to the National Commission for Women (NCW), requesting a fact-finding team be sent to Karnataka.

"The BJP will not stay silent while our sisters and daughters are unsafe. The government must answer for this breakdown and act swiftly to ensure the safety and security of our women and children," Ashoka stated.

The private engineering institution where the alleged incident occurred has not yet released an official statement.