Mysuru gang-rape: Govt, police miserably failed, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday came down heavily on the conduct of Mysuru police and the State government in dealing with the recent gang-rape incident in Mysuru, and alleged that they "miserably failed" and were not serious about the inhuman incident.

Initiating debate on the gang-rape case, in the Legislative Assembly, the senior Congress leader, also accused Home Minister Araga Jnanendra of taking the whole incident "very casually". A college girl was allegedly raped by six men near Chamundi Hills in Mysuru on August 24, while her male friend was assaulted. Police have arrested six accused in connection with the case. Pointing out that Mysuru is a cultural city, famous tourism centre and an education hub, Siddaramaiah said such incidents will have an impact on the tourism, parents of the students studying

there and will put a black spot on its cultural identity. "People are scared after the gang-rape incident and parents of the students studying in Mysuru are a worried lot," he said. Noting that the spot where the gang-rape took place was not deserted or a forest area, the former CM who hails from the district, said there is a ring road at a distance of 300-400 meters from there, also there is locality called Lalitaadripura nearby. He said during his visit to the spot about a week after the incident, Mysuru Police Commissioner told him that crime incidents had taken place there earlier too. "When police were aware that criminal activities were happening there, why did they stop beat and other patrolling measures?" he asked. The nearby police station is about 2 km away from the crime spot and has 60 staff members and a Garuda patrolling vehicle.

Pointing out that there is 545 acre area around the place where the incident took place, Siddaramaaih said police are unaware as to whom the place belongs to, despite it coming under their jurisdiction. "What kind of policing are they doing? This shows their alertness." There is no proper patrolling by the police, despite police being aware that criminal incidents were taking place in the city, he said as he pointed out that in a span of 30 days, 16 extortions, murders, rape of a 12-year-old girl, bank robbery and shoot out incidents have taken place in Mysuru city.

"What are the police for? Isn't controlling crime their duty? Punishing the perpetrators is their duty. There should be fear of police," he said, highlighting that the six accused who have been arrested are habitual offenders and from Tamil Nadu. Listing out the details of the incident, Siddaramaiah said the private hospital where the victim and her male friend got admitted, after examining and confirming about the rape, sent a report to the police stating that it was medico-legal case (MLC). Alleging that there was a 14-15 hours gap between hospital reporting an MLC and registering an FIR, he asked "why was there a delay? Why was the case first registered under section 354 (a) of IPC (sexual harassment) and only after protest by people and Congress workers it was changed to 376 (d) and 397 IPC? Did the police have plans to shut the case? Who was behind it?" Hitting out at the police for delay in registering an FIR, the Congress leader equated the case to the Nirbhaya case in Delhi and a similar case in Telangana, and said but police still took it "lightly". Police have not gone by the Justice J S Verma committee report according to which the victim should have been shifted to government hospital, officers also did not ensure that she got necessary counselling and help through 'Santwana Kendras.

"It was mandatory on part of the police to go by committee report." Observing that the victim was discharged on August 27 and her male friend on August 26, Siddaramaiah said police had not taken the victim's statement after giving her counselling and let her go to Mumbai with her family. Intervening at this point, Health Minister Sudhakar sought to know if the victim could have cooperated with the police after what she had gone through. "Rape could have caused a big shock to the victim, but the following inquiry and legal process is another kind of rape on the women or victim." At this point, the CM said the victim was now in Mysuru and recorded her statement before the magistrate. "The victim and her family were given counselling on that day also...today she had given her statement before the magistrate and our police have been successful in giving her counselling, despite her going to Mumbai and getting her statement," he said.

Suggesting that if the police had conducted regular patrolling the incident wouldn't have occurred, the LoP said, it is a failure on part of the police and delay in filing FIR is a defect in the investigation. He said a separate FIR was not filed regarding the assault on the victim's male friend. "Is it not a lapse on part of the police?" Taking a dig at Jnanendra, Siddaramaiah said he visited Mysuru subsequently, but first visited Chamundi Hill and offered prayers there, then attended a police academy event and gave a shooting pose there and while coming back visited the spot.

"This indicates how serious he is." Jnanendra however sought to clarify that he had held meetings twice with officers on the issue, before attending the pre scheduled police academy event, and also several legal experts had advised him not to visit the spot, but he still visited.