Kanakapura-Origin Sub-Inspector Arrested For Sexual Assault Of Minor

The Karnataka Police on Sunday arrested a police sub-inspector, who is originally from Kanakapura taluk in Bengaluru South district, for the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in Uttara Kannada district.

The accused officer, identified as Abhinandan Gowda, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. He also faces charges under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint filed against him on July 4.

According to the official complaint, Gowda was temporarily deployed to the Uttara Kannada district a couple of months ago. This temporary transfer was initiated following communal unrest in the region.

During his deployment in the district, the sub-inspector allegedly took the 16-year-old minor to a birthday celebration held at a relative’s residence. Following the celebration, Gowda allegedly took the girl to a private hotel, where the sexual assault took place. The victim stated in her complaint that the officer continued to contact her repeatedly on her phone after the incident occurred.

After the complaint was formally lodged on July 4, the police launched an investigation into the allegations. Investigators obtained and examined CCTV footage from the private hotel where the assault was reported to have occurred.

The police then brought Gowda in for questioning regarding the incident. Upon finding that the hotel's CCTV footage corroborated the account of the events provided by the minor girl, the police officially placed the sub-inspector under arrest on Sunday.