RAYAKOTTAI ( KRISHNAGIRI ): Almost reminiscent of the horrific Nirbhaya episode, a four-member gang of auto and jeep drivers raped a 20-year-old college student at Bodampatti near Rayakottai in Krishnagiri district on Friday evening. A youth accompanying the rape survivor was overpowered and gagged while the accused abducted the victim to a nearby mango orchard and raped her.

The survivor has been hospitalized at Krishnagiri government hospital.

The accused had been identified as T Prakash (26) son of Tamilarasan of Railway Colony in Rayakottai, V Mani (23) son of Venkatesh of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and G Subramani (26) son of Gopal of Echampatti village near Rayakottai in Krishnagiri district.

According to Krishnagiri district superintendent of police P Kannammal, the incident took place when the rape survivor had gone to Rayakottai from Krishnagiri. “The victim is studying BCom, third year in a government college in Krishangiri. She hailed from Kaveripattinam in the same district while her boyfriend Cheralathan (24) hailed from Velampatti village near Kaveripattinam. Both were in love for the past two years,” she said.

On Friday morning, the victim wished to go to a temple near Rayakottai following which Cheralathan, who is a car driver, took her to Rayakottai in his own car. After completing their worship in the temple, they went to Bodampatti and parked the car in a mango orchard. “The survivor got down from the car to attend nature’s call in the mango orchard,” the SP said.

At that time, the four people who came there to consume alcohol spotted her and approached her with an intention to rape her. “They suddenly attacked Cheralathan and her and took them to a hideout behind a big-sized rock. They tied up Cheralathan to a tree while raping the survivor one by one in front of him,” the SP said.

C Selvaraj (45), a local, who heard the victim’s scream, rushed to the spot. The accused who saw him, immediately escaped from the spot leaving the rape survivor and her boy friend abandoned, few feet away from the spot.

On seeing this, Selvaraj rushed to Bodampatti village and alert villagers rushed to the spot. They also alerted Rayakottai police who in turn rescued the duo. They rushed her to Krishnagiri government hospital for treatment. Salem range DIG (in charge) A Amalraj, Krishnagiri district SP P Kannammal and other police officials also reached the spot and initiated the investigation. Based on her statement and complaint, Rayakottai police registered a case and initiated the investigation.

Later on the same night, the police managed to arrest three accused who were hiding in a mango orchard near Udayandahalli village around 3am. “When police surrounded the accused, one of the accused, C Prakash (24), son of Chinna Kannu of Jittandahalli village near Mahendramangalam in Dharmapuri district, managed to escape from the spot. We have launched a search for him,” Kannammal added.

During interrogation, the accused have confessed to their crime. The police registered cases against the accused under sections 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement), 366 (Kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage), 354 C (Voyeurism), 376 D (Intercourse by any member of the management or staff of a hospital with any woman in that hospital), 506(2) (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 397 (Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) read with 67(A) of Information Technology Act 2000 and 4 of Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act.

Police recovered cash and jewels from the accused. They had stolen the items from the rape survivor and her boyfriend.

All the three accused had been produced before the judicial magistrate of Krishnagiri district combined court and lodged at Salem central prison.

Police arrested the fourth accused later in the evening from Kelamangalam near Hosur. Police also seized the mobile phone which was used to record the rape incident from the accused.

Accused recorded the incident

The rape accused recorded the incident. “One of the rape accused, C Prakash, recorded the entire incident in his mobile phone. He also threatened the rape survivor that he will upload the video if she refused to sleep with them whenever they called her,” Rayakottai police said. They also said that the rape accused gave their mobile phone numbers, names and address to her and the accused threatened her that they will call her at any time. “The victim also informed about this in the complaint, based on which we have registered the accused under 67(A) of Information technology Act 2000 along with other cases,” the police added.