Bengaluru student arrested for raping college mate, later asked 'do you need a pill?', says FIR

The accused, identified as Jeevan Gowda, a sixth-semester student at a private engineering college in South Bengaluru, was taken into custody on Wednesday and has been remanded to judicial custody, police said.

The alleged assault took place on October 10, while the survivor- a seventh-semester student- filed her complaint five days later, on October 15.

Police have registered a case under Section 64 (Punishment for Rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the FIR, the survivor and the accused knew each other and were classmates until Gowda fell behind in his academic year due to a backlog.

On the day of the incident, the woman had reportedly met him earlier to collect some belongings.

During the lunch break, Gowda allegedly called her several times, asking her to meet him near the architecture block on the seventh floor.

When she arrived, he allegedly tried to kiss her forcibly. As she attempted to leave in a lift, he followed her to the sixth floor, dragged her into a men’s washroom, and sexually assaulted her.

The FIR states that Gowda locked the washroom door and took away her phone when it rang during the assault.

The assault allegedly occurred between 1:30 pm and 1:50 pm.

The survivor later confided in two friends. Police said she initially hesitated to report the incident due to fear and distress, but eventually informed her parents, who helped her file a complaint at the Hanumanthanagar Police Station.

A crime scene reconstruction was carried out on Thursday.

Officials stated that there were no CCTV cameras installed on the floor where the incident occurred, which may make evidence collection more challenging. Forensic and digital evidence are being examined, they added.

The incident has sparked a political storm in Karnataka, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the ruling Congress government of failing to ensure women’s safety.

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said on social media, “The law and order in Karnataka has collapsed. In just four months, there have been 979 sexual assaults on girls. Bengaluru alone has reported over 114 cases. Our women and children are living in fear due to the state government's criminal inaction.”

Ashoka said he has written to the National Commission for Women (NCW), urging it to send a fact-finding team to the state.

“The BJP will not stay silent while our sisters and daughters are unsafe. The government must answer for this breakdown and act swiftly to ensure the safety and security of our women and children,” he added.

The college administration has not yet issued a public statement on the incident.