A car dealer and his five friends allegedly abducted a postgraduate student and her male friend, and raped her inside the car near Cox Town last week.
The incident is said to have occurred on the night of July 11, but the complaint was lodged and the case registered on Monday.
“We arrested the prime suspect Nasir Hyder, a car dealer, based on the complaint. A manhunt is on to arrest his five friends. Three separate police teams headed by an ACP have been constituted. We have credible leads about the five and they would be arrested soon,” a senior police officer said.
The victim refused to undergo a medical test, but the police would subject her to a medical test as per the norm, he added.
The victim, a resident of Frazer Town, is pursuing postgraduate studies in Mangalore. She had partied along with her friends at a hotel on July 11.
One of her friends offered to drop her home in his car (Honda City). They reached her home around 11.30 pm and when she was just about to alight, a car (Skoda Fabia) moved past the Honda City. There were six men inside the car.
The driver moved his car back and pulled in close to Honda City. All the six got down, threatening the victim and her friend at knifepoint. Four of them got into Honda City and drove it to a desolate area, while two others followed in Skoda Fabia car, police said. They drove the car around before reaching the railway tracks in Cox Town. Nasir Hyder directed his three associates to get down along with the victim’s friend. He directed them to take him to a nearby desolate area.
State of shock
Hyder indulged in unnatural sex with the victim inside the car, police said. Soon, his two friends reached the spot in Skoda Fabia.
They contacted three others and asked them to bring the victim’s friend. All the six drove away after the victim’s friend reached the spot, police added. It was tough time for the victim and her friend to come out of shock.
He managed to drive and reach Frazer Town. He left after she reached the house, police said. The victim’s friend had noted down Skoda Fabia’s registration number. He spotted it near a mosque on MM Road on Saturday evening.
He once against spotted it near a gym opposite a bakery on Mosque Road on Sunday and called the police who rushed to the spot and caught Hyder, police said. The victim told the police that the suspects had claimed to be policemen and had even demanded money from her.
She said that they snatched her wrist watch before absconding, police added.The police booked Nasir Hyder and his five associates under IPC Sections 364 A (kidnapping for ransom), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 377 (unnatural sex), 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
The inspector of Pulikeshinagar, Mohammed Rafique, was suspended on the charge of dereliction of duty as he delayed registering the victim’s complaint.