Shreyas H S By

Express News Service

RAICHUR: A local BJP leader from Raichur is now behind bars for attempting to rape a 24-year-old woman inside his car on Thursday evening.The irony is, just two hours before the incident, the leader had organised and led a protest in Devadurga condemning the rape and murder of 15-year-old Dalit girl in Vijayapura.

The accused Yallappa Aldarthi is a Gram Panchayat member and the victim, a teacher, hails from Hospet in Ballari district. The victim was in to apply for second year MCom examination (correspondence) at a private school.A common friend had introduced her to Aldarthi, saying he would help her find accommodation for a night. She boarded his car after Aldarthi assured to drop her, police said.

At 7.30pm, he drove over 4 km from where she boarded and then diverted the car into an agriculture field located on the outskirts of Devadurg on Shahpur Road.

He then attempted to rape her but she resisted and ran out of the car by opening its door. She then encountered a cotton mill where she met a few people and narrated them about her situation.

She was then taken to Devadurga police station where she lodged a complaint.Based on her complaint, the police arrested the accused and filed an FIR under IPC Section 354. The accused is a well-known BJP leader in Devadurg.