Bengaluru Student Raped Inside Campus, Accused Asks "Do You Need A Pill"

A 21-year-old engineering student was arrested for raping his college mate inside a men's toilet on the campus of a private engineering institution in South Bengaluru.

The accused, identified as Jeevan Gowda, a sixth-semester student, was taken into custody by police on Wednesday. He has since been remanded to judicial custody, police said. The alleged incident took place on October 10, while the survivor -- a seventh-semester student at the same college -- filed a complaint five days later, on October 15.

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

The FIR details that the survivor and the accused knew each other and were classmates until Gowda fell behind in his academic year due to a backlog. On the day of the incident, the survivor had reportedly met Gowda earlier to collect some belongings.

During the lunch break, Gowda allegedly called her multiple times, asking her to meet him near the architecture block on the seventh floor. When she arrived, he allegedly tried to forcibly kiss her. As she attempted to leave using the lift, he is said to have followed her to the sixth floor, dragged her into a men's washroom, and sexually assaulted her.

The report further states that Gowda locked the washroom door and confiscated her phone when it rang during the assault. The alleged assault is believed to have occurred between 1:30 pm and 1:50 pm.

Following the incident, the survivor confided in two of her friends. The FIR also notes that Gowda later called her, allegedly asking, "Do you need a pill?" 

Police said the woman initially hesitated to report the assault as she was distressed and frightened. She later informed her parents, who accompanied her to file a complaint at the Hanumanthanagar police station.

A crime scene reconstruction was conducted on Thursday, police said.

Authorities have confirmed that no CCTV cameras were installed on the floor where the incident occurred, which could complicate evidence gathering. However, forensic and digital evidence is being examined.

The incident has sparked strong political reactions, particularly from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has criticised the ruling Congress government over what it described as a deteriorating law and order situation in Karnataka.

In a statement posted on social media, R Ashoka, the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, said: "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), urging it to send a fact-finding team 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 said.

The private engineering college where the incident allegedly took place has not yet issued a public statement.