2 lecturers, associate held for ‘raping’ student in Karnataka

Two male lecturers from a private college in Dakshina Kannada district and their associate have been arrested for allegedly raping a woman student after "blackmailing" her with videos and photos, police said on Tuesday.

The student is from the same college where the accused are employed as lecturers in Moodabidri.

According to police, the student alleged that one of the lecturers befriended her under the pretext of sharing academic notes and began chatting with her frequently.

He later allegedly invited her to Bengaluru, again citing academic reasons, and raped her at his friend's residence, police added.

The lecturer then threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

The accused reportedly boasted about the assault to another lecturer, who then allegedly began blackmailing the student using photos and videos and demanded sexual favours.

In her complaint, the student further alleged that the associate also raped her, blackmailing her with videos of the initial assault and claiming to possess CCTV footage of her visit to the accused's house in Bengaluru, a senior police officer said.

The assaults are believed to have taken place last month. However, the matter came to light only after the student informed her parents, who then approached the Karnataka State Women's Commission.

Acting on the commission's direction, the Marathahalli police registered a case on July 5 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested all three accused.

Police have begun collecting digital and forensic evidence related to the case.

The college authorities have been notified, and a report has been sent to the Department of Higher Education for further action.

When contacted, the college said the lecturers have not yet been dismissed.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.