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Woman alleges rape in the aftermath of the Karnataka lodge attack, 7 attackers charged with relevant sections
The seven men who forcibly entered a room in a Karnataka lodge and assaulted a couple from different faiths have been charged with sections of rape. The rape charges were filed based on the woman's accusation that, after the initial assault, the men took her to an isolated area where they took turns raping her. This comes after the woman released a video statement outlining her ordeals.
According to a video statement released by the woman, she has alleged that she was later forced into a car, and the driver also sexually assaulted her during a drive around the city. The perpetrators eventually dropped her off at a bus stop. In a video statement, the woman expressed her wish for the attackers to be punished.
"We weren't told about rape earlier. We came to know about this only through media reports about the video by the woman. We have booked a case under the appropriate section," said Anshu Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Haveri.
The police have informed that the married Muslim woman involved in the incident was in a romantic relationship with the man she had checked into the hotel with. The assailants took videos of the assault, reportedly as a means of ensuring the couple's silence by using the footage for blackmail.
The recorded videos that later went viral on social media were captured by the attackers themselves. The footage shows the six men waiting outside the lodge room in Hanagal Taluk, Haveri District. They noted the room number, knocked on the door, and forcibly entered when a man opened it. They dashed into the room and went straight for the woman who was trying to cover her face with a burqa.
The attackers were seen hurling abuses at the couple. The man who tried to escape from the room was pulled in by three of the attackers, cornered near the woman and beaten up. The woman was dragged, and beaten to the point where she collapsed on the floor.
The police have launched an investigation and 3 of the 7 men accused have been arrested.
