Mysuru: Hunsur Rural Police have arrested a worker from Kerala in connection with the alleged rape of a mentally challenged tribal woman belonging to the Jenu Kuruba community in Mysuru district.

The incident reportedly took place on September 12 when the accused, who was working at a ginger plantation, allegedly took the woman to a shed near agricultural land and sexually assaulted her.

Police registered a case after social activists intervened and raised the matter with the authorities. An FIR was registered under relevant provisions concerning rape as well as the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Woman allegedly taken to shed

According to the complaint, the woman had been near farmland at around 5.30 pm on September 12 when the accused allegedly approached her.

The accused reportedly took her to a shed in the vicinity of the agricultural fields, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

People working at a neighbouring farmland are said to have noticed the incident and intervened. They reportedly rescued the woman from the shed.

The woman belongs to the Jenu Kuruba tribal community and has a mental disability, according to the report.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged assault are being investigated by Hunsur Rural Police. The police are also expected to record statements from the woman and witnesses as part of the investigation.

Village settlement reportedly attempted

Following the alleged incident, villagers reportedly did not initially approach the police to lodge a complaint.

Instead, the matter was allegedly taken up through a village-level panchayat, where an attempt was reportedly made to settle the issue locally.

According to the report, the accused was directed to offer a ‘thappu kaanike’, or penalty, to a temple as part of the settlement.

Such a reported village-level settlement did not result in the matter being closed from a legal perspective after social activists intervened and brought the alleged offence to the attention of the police.

The intervention led to police visiting the location and taking up the allegations for investigation.

FIR registered under rape and SC/ST Act

Hunsur Rural Police subsequently registered an FIR in connection with the alleged sexual assault.

Besides the provisions relating to rape, police also invoked the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, considering the victim’s tribal status.

The accused was arrested on Monday following registration of the case.

The investigation will involve establishing the sequence of events, recording statements of witnesses and examining other evidence connected with the alleged assault.

The police action followed concerns raised by social activists over the reported attempt to settle the matter through a village-level process rather than approaching the authorities.

Investigation underway

The arrest of the accused is part of the ongoing investigation and does not by itself establish guilt, which will be determined through the legal process.

Police are expected to collect relevant evidence and record statements from people who were present in the area at the time of the alleged incident.

The authorities will also examine the circumstances in which the woman was allegedly taken to the shed and the events that followed.

The case has drawn attention to the vulnerability of tribal women, particularly those with disabilities, and the importance of reporting allegations of sexual violence to the appropriate authorities.

With the FIR registered and the accused arrested, Hunsur Rural Police are continuing their investigation into the allegations.