Bengaluru police have arrested two college students and their electrician friend for allegedly gang-raping a 19-year-old student and blackmailing her using obscene videos recorded without her consent. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody at the Ramanagara district prison.

The arrested persons have been identified as G Vikas (20), a student of Allied Health Sciences; N Prashant (20), a Bachelor of Commerce student; and Chetan J (26), an electrician. All three are residents of Magadi town in Ramanagara district.

Friendship through social media turned exploitative

According to police, Vikas came into contact with the survivor through social media around six months ago. As the interaction progressed, the two became close, and he allegedly gained her trust.

Police said Vikas later took the survivor to Chetan’s house in Magadi, which was vacant at the time as Chetan’s wife had gone to her parental home following childbirth.

Obscene videos recorded without consent

During this period, Vikas allegedly established a physical relationship with the survivor and secretly recorded their private moments on his mobile phone without her knowledge or consent.

Investigations revealed that these videos were later shared with the other two accused — Prashant and Chetan.

Blackmail and repeated sexual assault alleged

Police said the trio allegedly used the obscene videos to blackmail the survivor and coerce her into repeated sexual acts. The harassment reportedly continued for several months, leaving the survivor traumatised.

Unable to endure the exploitation any longer, the student approached the police and filed a formal complaint on Wednesday, following which immediate action was taken.

Mobile phones sent for forensic examination

“We arrested the accused without delay. Their mobile phones have been sent to the forensic science laboratory to retrieve deleted videos and gather digital evidence,” a police officer involved in the investigation said.

Police confirmed that all three accused have been produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.

Police urge victims to come forward

A senior police officer appealed to victims of sexual exploitation and blackmail to seek help without fear.

“Silence only emboldens offenders. Reporting such crimes at the earliest helps prevent further abuse and ensures accountability,” the officer said.

Police said further investigation is ongoing.