Amruthahalli police arrested five accused, including a former corporator’s son, in a Bengaluru villa rape case. Police say the victim was lured through social media, while investigators continue probing digital evidence and links between the accused.
Bengaluru: The Amruthahalli police have now arrested a total of five accused, including a politician’s son, in the recent case where a student was allegedly raped in a villa.
Initially, the police had arrested two men: Dikshon Sandro (21) from West Bengal and Nikhil (34) from Sakleshpur. Based on the information they gave, the cops arrested three more for indirectly helping in the crime. They are Shravan (21) from Shivamogga, Aniruddh (33) from Davanagere, and Mohit Jain (23) from Gujarat. Officials said the investigation is ongoing.
Ex-Corporator’s Son Nabbed
It turns out that one of the arrested, Aniruddh, is the son of a former corporator from Davanagere. He is a friend of the main accused, Nikhil, and is accused of booking the villa where the incident happened. Aniruddh, who is a contractor, was first served a notice to appear for questioning about the villa booking. After the inquiry, he and two others were arrested for further investigation, officials confirmed.
Victim Dropped in Aniruddh’s Car
The villa was booked in Aniruddh’s name. Also, the car that Nikhil used to drop the victim near Lulu Mall on the day of the incident reportedly belongs to Mohit. Shravan and Mohit were also known to Nikhil, and their involvement in the rape case has been established.
Evidence on a Missing iPhone
Police believe that Nikhil’s iPhone contains evidence of him cheating other young women in a similar fashion. However, the accused claims he has lost the phone. Meanwhile, it’s being said that Shravan used to organize rave parties and invite influential people. There have been allegations against him in the past, but no one ever filed a formal complaint. The villa where the party took place is said to belong to a senior IPS officer.
The Modus Operandi: Act Decent, Then Cheat
The accused used to befriend young women on Instagram. They would then invite them for photoshoots, modeling gigs, or parties. To gain their trust, they would first meet them in pubs and cafes, acting all decent and well-behaved. Once they became friends, they would call them to villas for parties. It’s also learned that Nikhil used to provide financial help to the other accused for these activities.