Bengaluru police file 555-page charge sheet in attempted rape case

Bengaluru: The city police on Friday submitted a 555-page charge sheet in connection with the attempted rape of a 21-year-old woman near Adugodi, southeast Bengaluru.

The incident took place between 1 am and 1.30 am on August 19, when the victim, a third-year degree student and daughter of an army officer, was returning to her flat in Chandapura, near Anekal, after a dinner party in Koramangala.

In a swift response, the HSR Layout police arrested the accused, Mukeshwaran, 24, a resident of SR Nagar near Adugodi, within a day.

A senior police officer involved in the investigation confirmed that the charge sheet had been filed at the 39th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court.

“We completed the investigation within 40 days. The accused was arrested on August 20, and the investigation concluded on September 30,” the officer told DH.

The medical examination report, which confirmed a sexual assault attempt, provided crucial evidence. Also, the report matched the accused’s bite mark to the one found on the victim.

The police also relied on CCTV footage, which showed Mukeshwaran fleeing the scene by pushing his vehicle. This footage became a key lead in the investigation.

The charge sheet includes 86 witnesses, with four people having recorded statements under Section 164 before a magistrate. Three others participated in the Test Identification Parade.

Police invoked IPC sections 376 (rape) and 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) in the case. The investigation was conducted by the HSR Layout inspector under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sarah Fathima, Southeast Division.