Karnataka police officer arrested on rape charge

A police officer was arrested for allegedly raping a mentally challenged woman in Karnataka's Tumakuru town, officials said on Monday.

"The accused, Assistant Sub-Inspector Umesh, 54, has been suspended and arrested after the victim's mother filed a complaint on Sunday evening," Tumakuru Superintendent of Police (SP) Isha Pant told IANS.

The jeep driver, Ishwarappa, 32, was also arrested for abetting the crime.

"The two accused will be produced on Monday in a local court for judicial custody and interrogation to complete the investigation soon for filing the charge-sheet," said Pant.

The incident occurred on Saturday night around 11 p.m. when the 30-year-old victim was alone on the deserted road and Umesh spotted her while patrolling on a motorbike with a Home Guard.

On the pretext of escorting the victim to her home, Umesh sent away the guard to the police station and asked Ishwarappa to help him take her home.

"On the way to the victim's home, Umesh allegedly sexually assaulted her," Pant recalled.

"Though the victim was married, she had been staying at her mother's house as she was mentally unsound and often ventured out even at odd hours to walk around."

--IANS

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