The Andhra Pradesh police on Saturday arrested two engineering graduates for allegedly raping their junior in college, filming the act and circulating the video among others.
They also arrested another student who allegedly used the video to blackmail the survivor for Rs 10 lakh and sexual favours.
The incident occurred in the Agiripalli village of Krishna district in February 2017, but came to light on Friday, when the girl’s family members lodged a police complaint after the third student started blackmailing the girl.
According to the police, on the day of the incident, the 22-year old girl, who is a third-year engineering student in a college in Pothavarappadu town, went to a local hotel to attend her senior T Vamsi Krishna’s birthday party. There Krishna reportedly he offered her a soft drink that was spiked with a sedative. The police said that after the girl fell unconscious, Krishna and another student, Shiva Reddy, allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Police, quoting the victim’s complaint, said both the accused filmed the entire act. Later, they allegedly threatened saying they would post the video on social media if she complained to the police.
The police further said that despite the girl’s silence on the crime, both the accused circulated the video to some of their friends. They blurred out their own faces, but ensured that the girl’s face was visible, police said.
Another student, Dodla Praveen, then allegedly started blackmailing the girl for Rs 10 lakh and. sexual favours, the survivor claimed in her complaint.
In May 2017, the girl told her parents who then filed a complaint with the college management. Police said college authorities did not want the police involved fearing it would damage their reputation. They called the three accused and their parents and warned them of serious action if they did not delete the video. The accused reportedly deleted the video and gave an undertaking they would not resort to any more blackmailing. The accused passed out from the course last year and the survivor finished her graduation in 2018.
However, the video allegedly surfaced on social media again several days ago which led the family members of the girl to lodged a complaint with the police with all the details. The police took the trio into custody on Saturday.
They seized all their mobile phones. A case has been registered under sections 376 (Rape) 376-B (Gang rape) and 354 (Outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the IT Act against them, the police said, adding that the girl had been sent for a medical examination. Source HT
