Govt to take stern action in abduction, rape of woman in car

Government will take stern action against the guilty, including a political leader if involved, in connection with the alleged abduction and rape of a 22-year-old woman in a car here, a senior minister said.

"Government will take all measures to arrest and put them behind bars whoever were involved. We will also not spare a political leader if he is involved," Minister for Higher Education R V Deshpande told the Legislative Assembly.

The main accused, son of a local BSP leader, has been arrested in the case. The victim was sitting with her male friend in a car near her apartment on Thursday midnight when four men alighted from another car, forcibly got into their vehicle and drove them away, according to police.

Both were taken to a nearby railway track where three men forced the woman's friend out of the car, while the fourth allegedly sexually assaulted her in the vehicle, police said.
R Ashok, Govind Karjol, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and K G Bopaiah (all BJP) and Ramesh Kumar (Cong) spoke about the increase in such incidents and demanded stern action against the culprits.

Ashok said government should book the accused under the Goonda Act.

Intervening, Speaker Kagodu Thimappa said action also should be taken against "Godfathers of these criminals."

"Godfathers are there even now and were there during BJP government. Action should be taken against them," he said.

Thimappa also rued that such rapists and criminals go on to become big politicians. "I do not want to name one of them who has become so," he said.

Ramesh Kumar demanded that the government should resort to "encounter tactics" to stop such criminals from growing in numbers as was done when B Rachaiah was the Home Minister during Ramkrishna Hegde's rule when some chain snatchers were allegedly eliminated.