A gangrape accused was shot at on his leg by Bannerghatta police after he allegedly attempted to attack police personnel in a bid to escape in the morning hours on Friday, August 18. The accused, identified as Soma, 26, is an autorickshaw driver by profession.
The police had arrested three accused for their alleged involvement in the rape and murder of 39-year-old mentally-challenged woman. The woman’s half-naked body was found by the villagers lying unattended in the morning hours on August 13. The other accused who are unemployed have been identified as Harish, 24, and Jayanth Rao, 19, The woman was missing since Saturday after she went out for a walk with her younger sister’s two-year-old son.
The incident came to light when a few youth who were partying in a grove near the forest area heard cries of a child. The youth found the child with minor injuries on the face. Tension had gripped the village when the body was found with villagers who alleged that the village is unsafe for women to venture out post evening.
After the arrest of the accused, the police had taken Soma to conduct a mahajar of a spot where he had thrown a dagger. The same dagger was used to kill the woman, said the police. A senior police officer told The Hindu that picking up the dagger, he made an attempt to attack the police to escape after which the police shot fire in air to warn the accused.
This face-off prevailed for a few minutes and when the accused did not heed to the warning, the police opened fire and shot at his leg. He was later taken to the hospital. The police said he had a murder case pending and is a drug addict.
