Haveri: Four of seven gang rape accused who took out a ‘victory’ procession, from Haveri to Akki Alur in Karnataka, after being granted bail on Friday, are back behind the bars. A search is on for the remaining three.
The seven are part of a 19-member mob accused of dragging out a 26-year-old woman from a hotel room in Hangal that she was sharing with her partner and gang raping her inside a nearby forest in 2024.
Initially, the police had suspected them to be members of a vigilante squad that was against the inter-faith relationship. Later, they were charged with gang rape, based on a complaint by the woman.
During the hearing, the prosecution’s case weakened substantially as the woman was unable to identify the accused. While 12 were granted bail by a court earlier, the remaining seven walked out of jail on Friday.
What followed led to major outrage among people as videos of a ‘victory’ rally was circulated over social media. The accused were seen flashing victory signs while travelling in cars, escorted by motorcycle riders. Loud music could be heard playing.
The police swung into action soon after this and arrested Samiulla Abdul Wahid Lalanavar (28), Mohammed Sadiq Babusab Agasimani (30), Shoaib Niyaz Ahmed Mulla alias Shoaib (32) and Riyaz Abdul Rafiq Savikeri (32).
“We registered a case soon after the videos came to our notice. They have been arrested for violating bail conditions,” Haveri SP Anshu Kumar told the media. An application will be made for the cancellation of their bails, he said.
