In a vicious, unprovoked attack, our son, a student of Azim Premji University (APU) was brutally attacked, robbed and violated on the night of 14 January. The attack took place on a deserted stretch off Bikkanahalli Main Road leading from APU's UG2 hostel to Sarjapura Main Road in Bengaluru.

Having missed the university’s shuttle bus, 21-year-old Abhilash* (name changed) decided to walk the 2 km leafy, deserted road to join his friends for dinner at a nearby restaurant. It was only 6:35 pm, not an unearthly hour even by Bengaluru standards. Sarjapura police station stands just two kilometres away from the crime scene.