A 21-year-old engineering student has been arrested for allegedly raping his classmate inside a men’s toilet on the campus of a private engineering college in South Bengaluru, police said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Jeevan Gowda, a sixth-semester student, was taken into custody on Wednesday and has been remanded to judicial custody. The incident allegedly occurred on October 10, while the survivor, a seventh-semester student at the same college, filed a complaint five days later, on October 15.
FIR Filed Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the case has been registered under Section 64 (Punishment for Rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), reported NDTV.
The FIR notes that the survivor and the accused knew each other and were classmates until Gowda fell behind academically. On the day of the incident, the survivor 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 attempted to kiss her forcibly. As she tried to leave using the lift, Gowda is said to have followed her to the sixth floor, dragged her into a men’s washroom, and sexually assaulted her between 1:30 PM and 1:50 PM.
Survivor’s Account And Evidence Collection
The report further states that Gowda locked the washroom and took away the survivor’s phone when it rang during the assault. Later, he allegedly called her, asking if she “needed a pill.”
The survivor initially confided in two friends before informing her parents, who accompanied her to file a complaint at the Hanumanthanagar Police Station. Police conducted a crime scene reconstruction on Thursday.
Authorities confirmed that there were no CCTV cameras installed on the floor where the assault took place, which could complicate evidence collection. However, forensic and digital materials are being analysed as part of the investigation.
Political Reactions And Law-and-Order Concerns
The incident has triggered strong political reactions, particularly from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the Congress-led state government of failing to maintain law and order.
R. Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, said in a post 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. From the brutal rape and murder of a tribal girl in Mysuru to the tragic suicide of a librarian in Kalaburagi — this is a moral and administrative failure.”
Ashoka added that he had written to the National Commission for Women (NCW), urging it to send a fact-finding team to Karnataka.
“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 said.
College Yet To Issue Statement
The private engineering college where the alleged assault occurred has not released any public statement so far.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and further action will be taken based on forensic findings and witness statements.
