Bengaluru: Businessman, friend save woman from flesh trade

BENGALURU: An alert good Samaritan and his friend saved a woman who was allegedly being forced into prostitution and prevented her from getting gang raped on Sunday early morning, when they were on their way home.

The businessman has now approached the city police commissioner and asked his intervention into the alleged sex racket being run in Bommasandra in Jigani.

It was a usual night for Akshat Gupta, a resident of Gottigere, who after finishing his work was heading home from Jigani Industrial Area early Sunday around 12.30 am. Gupta told Deccan Chronicle, “I along with my friend was driving down home on Saturday late night in my car when we happened to see a woman covering her face standing at the end of the road all alone signalling for a lift. Though I was hesitant, my friend insisted that I stop and ask if the woman was really in need of help.”

But little did Gupta know that the woman, whom he had lent a helping hand, had just managed to escape from a gang of seven men from a small hotel situated near Boomasandra.

Gupta said, “As we slowed down our car and asked the woman why she was standing alone at odd hours in the industrial area, the woman hurriedly opened the car’s door and sat down at the rear seat. We offered her water and asked her to calm down but to our shock, the woman broke down and cried uncontrollably.”

He further said, “By then we had understood that the woman had a miraculous escape looking at her how terrified she was. After some 15 minutes, she asked me to drop her near Silk Board to which I said don’t worry you are in safe hands. Listening to this, the petrified woman broke down and revealed her ordeal,” Gupta added.

According to the victim, she was allegedly misguided by her best friend, who had called her home over dinner and later asked her to stay back by telling her that it was late at night and not safe to go home.

“The woman told us that on Saturday night she had come to her friend’s house following which she was asked by her friend to stay back unaware of what is lying ahead of her. The woman then told the victim that there is some problem at her house and she can stay at her male friend’s house, who is married and stays with his wife,” Gupta said.

The victim reportedly told Gupta that soon a car came at the doorsteps and there were five men inside the car who then took her to a hotel in Jigani and allegedly took her inside a room where there was a gang of seven men.

According to Gupta, when the girl entered the room, the men supposedly made sexual advances at her and even attempted to rape her.

The woman told Gupta that sensing danger, she displayed signs of submission, and on the pretext of using washroom sneaked out of the hotel and fled. It was then that Gupta along with his friend happened to notice her.

“After listening to her harrowing experience I calmed her down and later called her husband and brother and re-united her with her family. Also, taking a serious note of the incident, I immediately approached the city police commissioner on the Twitter handle and apprised the senior police officers about the incident. I have also sent a mail to the police department regarding the same,” Gupta said.

Police Commissioner N.S.Megharikh said, “The area falls under Bengaluru district police limit and the concerned officials have been informed. A probe has been initiated.”