Karnataka women’s panel takes note of 20-year-old student’s rape

Published on: Aug 07, 2025 07:28 AM IST

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In a letter addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP) MA Saleem, SCW chairperson Dr Nagalakshmi Choudhary asked the police to take swift action under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and to provide all necessary support to the survivor

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Commission for Women (SCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged rape of a 20-year-old nursing student from Kerala in a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Bengaluru and has urged the police to carry out an impartial probe.

The Karnataka State Commission for Women (SCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alleged rape of a 20-year-old nursing student from Kerala in a paying guest (PG) accommodation in Bengaluru. (Representational Image)

In a letter addressed to the Director General of Police (DGP) MA Saleem, SCW chairperson Dr Nagalakshmi Choudhary asked the police to take swift action under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and to provide all necessary support to the survivor. “The commission has taken serious note of the incident since lakhs of women stay in paying guest accommodations,” an SCW official told Hindustan Times. “SCW wrote to the state DGP and instructed to take extra care to ensure safety of women in the state,” he added.

The incident occurred on the night of July 30 in Soladevanahalli. The accused, Ashraf (37), also a native of Kerala and the owner of the PG where the student was staying, allegedly raped the woman after taking her to a secluded location in his car. According to police, the student had moved into the PG just ten days before the incident. The accused had befriended her on the pretext of offering help.

Following the sexual assault, the survivor lodged a complaint at the Soladevanahalli police station. Ashraf was arrested on August 3 and booked under BNS Sections 64 (rape) and 137 (kidnapping). He has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Investigators said the survivor’s statement has been recorded with due sensitivity and further investigations are underway.

The commission’s intervention has added urgency to the investigation, with renewed focus on safety protocols for women in private hostels and paying guest accomodations.