BENGALURU: A police constable in his late 30s has been arrested for allegedly raping a minor, who was sexually assaulted by her neighbour earlier.
The constable befriended the girl in Dec last when her mother sought police intervention, saying the neighbour was harassing her daughter to marry him. The neighbour had promised to marry the girl and allegedly raped her.
However, the mother, after discovering that both the neighbour and the constable had raped her daughter, filed a complaint against the two under the Pocso Act on Feb 13. Police arrested the neighbour, Vickey, 30, on the same day. They arrested the constable, Arun Thonepa, attached to Bommanahalli police station, a few days later.
Thonepa, who is married and has a minor son, had fled the city soon after the complaint was lodged against them.
In her complaint, the mother accused Thonepa of developing a physical relationship with her daughter after giving her beer laced with sleeping pills.
“Last Dec, the girl and the mother approached Bommanahalli police, saying Vickey was harassing the girl. But the girl did not reveal anything about the rape and the mother says she did not know. However, Thonepa, who discovered that Vickey had physical contact with the girl, befriended her and took her to a hotel room.
There, he gave her beer laced with sleeping pills and then raped her. He threatened her, saying he had recorded the act on his mobile and would upload it on social media if she dared to file a police complaint against him,” an officer investigating the case said.
The girl told her mother about Thonepa and Vickey’s sexual assault recently, after which the mother sought police intervention.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- A police constable Arun Thonepa and neighbour Vickey were arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl, with both incidents occurring separately.
- The mother initially sought police help in December when Vickey was harassing her daughter, unaware of the sexual assault at that time.
- Constable Thonepa allegedly drugged the victim with beer laced with sleeping pills at a hotel room and threatened to release recordings if reported.
- The constable, who is married with a minor son, fled the city after the complaint was filed but was later apprehended.
- The mother filed a complaint under the Pocso Act on February 13 after learning about both assaults, leading to arrests of both accused.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)
