Student abducted, assaulted by gang of youths in Bengaluru; refer Renukaswamy murder case

The Bengaluru police have arrested a group of eight youths who allegedly assaulted and tortured a student after disrobing him in an isolated place, and made a video of the attack referring to the Renukaswamy murder case, in which Kannada film actor Darshan was arrested. The incident took place on June 30. 

The victim Kushal K.M., 19, was reportedly in a relationship with his classmate, a minor girl, who broke up with him and got into another relationship. Enraged by this, Kushal allegedly started fighting with her over messages, objecting to her behaviour. He allegedly also sent indecent and lewd messages, forcing the girl to complain to her friend.

On June 30, the girl reportedly called Kushal to meet her, and talk it out and sort all issues. However, in his complaint, Kushal said that when he went to meet the girl he was confronted by a group of youths , instead of the girl. 

The group allegedly asked him to delete the girl’s photos and videos from his mobile and started beating him. They forcefully took him in a car near a college and assaulted him. When he said that he had kept the phone at his home, they reportedly took him home, made him delete all the photos and videos of the girl, handed over the phone to his mother and took him from his home again.

In his complaint, Kushal alleged that he was beaten, humiliated and tortured in the car and they later took him to a grove near Aaluru Lake, where they beat him with a cane, forced him to disrobe and tortured him. 

The accused recorded the video of the assault, and the girl who was present at the spot was also seen in the video. In the video that has now gone viral, one of the accused says this case is akin to the Renukaswamy murder case and introduces Kushal as Renukaswamy. 

It can be recalled that in June, 2024, Kannada film actor Darshan and his partner Pavithra Gowda were arrested, along with their associates, for allegedly abducting Renukaswamy for sending indecent messages to Ms. Gowda on Instagram. Renukaswamy was a fan of the actor. He was employed in a medical store in Chitradurga. He was allegedly tortured to death in a shed at Pattandur Agrahara in Bengaluru on June 8, 2024.

In this case, the victim Kushal K.M. was also tortured for many hours and later dropped back home, after warning him with dire consequences if he ever spoke to the girl again. 

Kushal narrated the ordeal to his parents before filing a complaint with the police. Based on his complaint, the police tracked down the accused charging them under sections 137(2) (kidnapping from lawful guardianship), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 352(intentional insult with the intent to provoke a breach of peace) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, and arrested eight  persons identified as Shivashankar A., 20, Yeshwanth Patel, 20, Hemanth, 18, Salman Khan, 23, Rahul M., 20, Tejas S., 20, Rakesh R., 21, and N. Shashank Gowda, 19.

Seven among them are students and one is works at a private firm. The police also summoned the girl and recorded her statement who is also accused in the case.