Accused nabbed after 2,500 mobile numbers were screened

Mysore: Three weeks after a 23-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped at Lingambudhi Palya on the outskirts of the city, Kuvempunagar Police have arrested three suspects. The search is on for five more accused.

The arrested persons have been identified as Karthik Kumar, 25, Jeevan, 25 and Surya Kumar, 23, all residents of K.G. Koppal in city. They have been formally produced before a Court yesterday afternoon and they have been remanded to Police custody for 8 days. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched to arrest five more accused who are on the run.

The crime was reported on May 9 where the woman was allegedly gang-raped by four men in a drunken stupor on the night of May 8. Before committing the crime, the gang brutally assaulted the woman’s friend Shivasiddappa and broke one of his legs. They assaulted him with lethal weapons. 34-year-old Shivasiddappa is a native of Hand Post in H.D. Kote Taluk and a resident of K.G. Koppal.

The incident hit headlines all over and three teams had been formed to investigate. Though there was a doubt about the Police jurisdiction during initial investigation, in the interest of investigation, the Jayapura Police had registered a gang-rape case and had formed eight teams to hunt for the perpetrators. Later, the probe was taken up by Kuvempunagar Police who have now cracked the case.

Friends turn foes

According to the Police, the accused have confessed to the crime. Police said that the victim woman was working in a lodge and the accused knew her well. They were all friends but fell out over some issue. Since then, the accused were nursing grudge against her. On the night of May 8, the accused saw her moving along with her friend Shivasiddappa at a secluded place near Lingambudhipalya after dark. The accused, who were in a car consuming alcohol, saw an opportunity and picked up a fight with Shivasiddappa. After brutally assaulting him, the accused took turns to rape the woman, Police said.

25 persons interrogated

For the Police, tracing the accused was like sifting a needle in a stack of hay. Still, the Police managed to round-off the perpetrators.

Over 25 persons were grilled and the Police team obtained CCTV footages from nearby bars and restaurants, shopping complexes and those installed on the Outer Ring Road. But the CCTV footages proved useless as the Police could not trace the vehicle of the suspects. As the crime took place after dark, all initial investigations proved a naught.

Mobile technology helps Police

Finally, using modern technology, the Police began obtaining details from mobile network service providers regarding call details. It was a humungous data as the Police got over 2,500 mobile numbers that were active in that particular area at that particular time on May 8. The real task began for the Police now as they had to make calls to each number to find out the details as to why they had come to the area that particular night. Some mobile numbers were switched off and a separate list was made. Getting addresses of those mobile numbers was another task.

Breakthrough and arrest

When teams visited a few houses of those persons who had switched off their mobiles, some were found missing from their localities a day after the crime had taken place. Here, the Police got a breakthrough and they were able to trace the accused from their hideouts. They were arrested and brought to Mysuru.

Grilling the accused at Police Station, the investigation team learnt that in all, eight persons were involved in the crime and the Police are on the lookout for them.

Krishnaraja ACP G.T. Nayak, Kuvempunagar Inspector Raju, Sub-Inspectors Arun and Raghu led the investigations.