Bantwal: Gang rape of minor girl; victim also sexually harassed by lodge manager

Bantwal: In a shocking incident, four men allegedly raped a minor girl in Amtady village located in the Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. The incident reportedly took place on October 8.

The Bantwal Town police on Saturday arrested four persons in the case.

Superintendent of police (SP) Sonawane Rishikesh Bhagawan on Sunday October 10 said that the accused would be produced before the magistrate.

He further said that separate teams were formed to nab the accused soon after the girl reported the incident to the police on Friday.

K.S. Sharath Shetty, a resident of Kaup, Maruthi Manjunath, Lodge Sathish, and Hidayatulla have been arrested.

It is said that Sharath had befriended the girl on Facebook and introduced the girl to his relative Maruthi Manjunath who developed intimacy with her and indulged in sexual chat over WhatsApp.

Sharath later invited the girl to Mangaluru. He allegedly took her to a lodge and raped her. Later, he invited his friend Hidayatulla to the lodge and he too raped her.

Another accused, Sathish who provided a lodge room to Sharath and the girl had also allegedly molested the girl. The girl later returned to Bantwal in a bus.

The police have booked them under sections 366(a)(Abduction), 376(D)(rape), 506 of the Indian Penal Code and POCSO Act.