Five arrested after woman drugged and raped at Thalaghattapura house party

The Thalaghattapura police have arrested five men for allegedly drugging and raping a 23-year-old woman at a house party in Maruthi Nagar, Thalaghattapura, in southern Bengaluru. The incident occurred on June 30, after the victim was allegedly lured to the location under the pretext of a dinner gathering.

The victim, who works for a private company and resides in Yelahanka, was acquainted with Somashekar, one of the suspects, and another member of the group. Police identified the other key suspect as Amaresh J, a cab driver. Somashekar works for a private security agency. All five arrested suspects are between 25 and 30 years old and hail from Raichur or Kalaburagi.

According to a senior police officer, Somashekar contacted the victim and told her that his friends from Kalaburagi were visiting Bengaluru and wanted to meet her over dinner. The victim suggested hosting the party at a hotel, but the group told her that the gathering had already been arranged at their house.

The victim agreed and reached the Maruthi Nagar residence at around 7:00 PM on June 30, travelling by a bike taxi. After the group spent some time together, the woman was offered a glass of juice that had been mixed with an intoxicating substance.

The victim lost consciousness after drinking the juice. Investigators stated that while she was unconscious, Ambarish allegedly sexually assaulted her. The other four friends remained in another room while the assault took place.

Once she regained consciousness, the victim managed to escape from the house and immediately called the police emergency helpline (112). Thalaghattapura police officers responded to the distress call, rushed to the spot, and rescued the woman.

The police registered a case of rape based on the victim's statement and sent her for a medical examination. All five suspects were arrested and have been remanded to judicial custody by a court.