A 26-year-old woman with a mental illness in Karnataka's Gadag district is at the center of a disturbing case involving multiple suspects, including a doctor and a nurse, according to local police. Seven individuals were arrested on Friday in connection with allegations of repeated sexual assault and the subsequent illegal abortion of the victim. The incident has sparked a thorough investigation, with authorities warning that more arrests may follow. The police registered a formal complaint on July 26 at the Gadag Women Police Station. The accused include Sikandar, Shabirahmad Junasab, Pradeep, Bharat, Sandeep, Dr Nagaraj, and nurse Rekha. According to the district superintendent of police, Rohan Jagadeesh, the initial complaint indicated that two men had sexually assaulted the woman on separate occasions, resulting in pregnancy. Three others were initially suspected of performing the abortion to conceal the crime. As the inquiry advanced, additional evidence emerged revealing that two more individuals had also raped the woman on different days and locations. In total, four men were implicated in the sexual assault. The victim’s parents became aware of the situation when she was approximately three months pregnant. They allege that the accused attempted to prevent the case from coming to light by offering financial incentives and issuing threats against the family should they pursue legal action. The SP emphasized that the case is particularly severe and that special investigative teams have been deployed to ensure all involved parties are brought to justice. He noted that the victim's parents have also named three additional individuals in their statements, accusing them of participating in efforts to cover up the illegal abortion. An FIR has been lodged under Sections 64 (rape) and 88 (voluntarily causing a miscarriage) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). These individuals' roles are currently under scrutiny. Sandeep, Dr Nagaraj, and Rekha are alleged to have administered 10 abortion pills to the victim, leading to the termination of her three-month pregnancy. The SP revealed that a separate investigation is ongoing to identify the owner of a medical shop that allegedly supplied the abortion pills without a valid prescription. This probe aims to determine if the incident was part of a broader network engaged in illegal abortions. Furthermore, authorities are reviewing whether nurse Rekha had previously participated in similar unlawful activities. The 26-year-old victim is currently receiving medical care, psychological counseling, and emotional support from the Women and Child Welfare Department. The investigation continues, and police remain committed to uncovering all aspects of the case. Meanwhile, in Kanpur, a woman discovered that her jewelry and valuables worth nearly Rs 50 lakh had vanished from her bank locker. She had stored the items in an SBI locker at the former State Bank of Travancore’s Swaroop Nagar branch in 2003. After her husband's passing, she relocated to Lucknow and did not return to the branch frequently. Despite this, locker fees continued to be debited from her account, leading her to believe the locker remained active. When she eventually sought to access the locker, she was informed that records were unavailable due to the bank merger. Upon verification, she was granted access, only to find the locker empty. Following her report to the police, an FIR was filed against the branch manager and other bank employees. Preliminary investigations revealed prior access to the locker. Authorities are now scrutinizing the bank’s records, locker access logs, CCTV footage, and other documentation to ascertain when and how the valuables were lost. The investigation is ongoing, focusing on identifying who accessed the locker and assessing potential lapses in security or record-keeping procedures.
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