Bengaluru: Kodigehalli parks, dens of vice & crime

Bengaluru: As the victim of abduction and gangrape in Kodigehalli police station limits recorded her statement before the court on Monday, police have intensified the patrolling surrounding the parks in Kodigehalli area, most of which are ill-maintained and have turned out to be hidey-holes for miscreants.

Kodigehalli, which has several parks and playgrounds, attracts many joggers and walkers. However, there are an equal number of parks and grounds which are poorly-fenced and maintained, which allows unscrupulous elements to enter them at any point of the day or night. What is worse is that most of the areas are poorly-lit, allowing miscreants to easily walk away from the spot after committing crimes.

The 15-year-old girl who was abducted from near Canara Bank Layout Park in Sahakara Nagar in Kodigehalli couldn't even shout for help as there are no people moving about on the poorly-lit streets. The police said that the accused easily forced the victim into a cab and fled from the spot.

Moreover, the parks have no guards to ensure the safety and security of people visiting them. A government employee who stays near the park told Deccan Chronicle that many illegal activities occur in the park, which remains open through the night. The parks are not only havens for lovebirds but also for miscreants, who target such couples and make away with their belongings.

The residents said that the parks should be renovated and fenced properly. Also, security personnel should be deployed at all parks to avert any such incidents in future, they said.

Victim records statement before court
The victim in her statement before the court on Monday said that she was abducted by Joseph and his friends on the evening of July 22. They took her around the city for three days. 

They raped her repeatedly and dropped her near the Canara Bank Layout Park on July 25. She has taken only three names Joseph (20), a daily wage labourer, known to the survivor, Santhosh (22), an auto driver, and Subash, owner cum driver of a cab, all the three residents of Kodigehalli. She has denied the involvement of others in the crime. But the police suspect that more people could be involved, and are investigating further.

On July 24, when the girl didn’t return, her father lodged a missing complaint with the Hebbal police. According to the first information report, the father of the minor went searching for her on Sunday night. He learnt that she had gone to the park but from there to a friend’s house. 

Thinking that she would return later, he went home. But when she did not come home, he filed the complaint. As the girl was a minor, a kidnap case was registered on July 24. Upon the victim's return, the police, based on the information provided by the victim, arrested the accused.