Date:14/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091453680400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Hassan police shielding child rape accused?

M.T. Shiva Kumar

BANGALORE: A Bangalore girl, studying in fourth standard in a private school, was allegedly raped several times in Hassan by a 58-year-old man. Unable to cope with the consequences, her father committed suicide. Although the victim’s mother has filed a complaint, the Hassan Rural police are allegedly trying to hush up the case, registering it as case of molestation before bowing to pressure and changed it to rape case. The victim’s mother has approached the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and requested its Chairperson, S.R. Nayak, to intervene. A case was registered with the SHRC on Wednesday.

According to the complaint, the girl was raped in October 2007. The accused is Venkata Rame Gowda, a resident of Jenvivara in Hassan district. The victim is a resident of Peenya 2nd Stage. On behalf of the girl, the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) has filed a complaint against Gowda as well as the Hassan Rural police station. The girl had been to her grandmother’s house in Jenvivara in October 2007 for Dasara. When she was playing with other children on the 17th of that month, Gowda lured her to his house and raped her. Later he gave her Re. 1 and threatened her, , Prakash Kariyappa, the fact finding coordinator of SICHREM, said in his complaint. “The girl was admitted to Sri Chamarajendra Hospital in Hassan and the next day the victim’s mother lodged a complaint with the Hassan Rural Police Station (263/07). Despite repeated requests, the police registered a case of molestation instead of rape.

“Till date the accused has not been arrested,” Mr Kariyappa said.