A troubling occurrence occurred in Bengaluru involving a 55-year-old autorickshaw driver who, according to police officials, had molested a 21-year-old woman before being struck with a sharp object. Though it happened on May 4, the incident didn’t come to light until Friday.
Authorities say that on May 4, Mohammed Ansari, a 23-year-old Kasaragod native, and his female friend, a Chikkamagaluru native, were in Bengaluru looking for a rental in JP Nagar. When night fell and they still hadn’t found a place to stay, they went to Majestic to take a bus home. It was there that they met the autorickshaw driver Sundar Raju.
Raju convinced them to remain at his house, pointing out that buses were few and it was hard to find somewhere to stay after midnight. Accepting his recommendation, the two went with Raju to his residence. But Raju allegedly tried to molestate the woman when he arrived. Ansari attacked Raju with a nearby tiny blade out of fury, then took off running away with the woman.
Raju then went to a hospital for medical attention, which led to the police being notified of the occurrence on May 6 as a medico-legal case (MLC). Raju initially told police officials that two passengers with knives had attacked him. But after a thorough investigation, police discovered Raju’s deceit and learned that the attack was actually the result of his purported attempt at molestation.
As a result, Ansari was arrested by the Konanakunte police under IPC Section 307 for attempted murder, and the court has now remanded him to judicial custody. Raju has also been accused of sexual harassment under IPC Section 354A.
