Horror on Campus: Engineering Student Assaulted in College Washroom, Accused Held
In a shocking incident that has exposed vulnerabilities in campus safety, a 21-year-old female engineering student was allegedly raped by a fellow student inside a men’s washroom at a private college in South Bengaluru. The assault, which unfolded on October 10 between 1:30 pm and 1:50 pm, has prompted swift police action and ignited fierce political backlash against the Karnataka government’s handling of women’s security.
The survivor, pursuing her seventh semester at the institution, had known the accused, Jeevan Gowda, from their time as classmates. Gowda, also 21 and now in his sixth semester after falling behind due to academic backlogs, had contacted her earlier that day to return some personal items. During the lunch hour, he repeatedly called, urging her to meet him near the architecture block on the seventh floor. Upon arrival, Gowda allegedly attempted to kiss her against her will. As she hurried toward the lift to escape, he pursued her to the sixth floor, where he forcibly pulled her into the men’s washroom, bolted the door, and carried out the sexual assault. When her phone rang during the attack, Gowda seized the device to silence it.
Traumatized and fearful, the young woman initially shared the ordeal only with two close friends. Gowda later reached out to her, crudely inquiring if she “needed a pill,” according to details in the police complaint. It was not until October 15 that she mustered the courage to confide in her parents, who supported her in lodging a formal First Information Report (FIR) at the Hanumanthanagar police station. The case has been booked under Section 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which addresses punishment for rape.
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Police moved quickly, apprehending Gowda on the following Wednesday and securing his remand to judicial custody. On Thursday, investigators staged a reconstruction of the crime scene to piece together the sequence of events. The probe faces hurdles, as no CCTV cameras monitor the sixth floor, potentially hindering visual evidence. Nonetheless, authorities are meticulously analyzing forensic traces and digital records, including phone data, to build a robust case.
The episode has reverberated beyond the college gates, fueling outrage from opposition leaders. R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) figure, lambasted the ruling Congress administration in a pointed social media post. “The law and order in Karnataka has collapsed,” Ashoka declared. “In just four months, there have been 979 sexual assaults on girls. Bengaluru alone has reported over 114 cases. Our women and children are living in fear due to the state government’s criminal inaction.” He cited recent tragedies, from the brutal rape and murder of a tribal girl in Mysuru to the suicide of a librarian in Kalaburagi, branding it a “moral and administrative failure.”
Ashoka vowed that the BJP would not remain passive. “The government must answer for this breakdown and act swiftly to ensure the safety and security of our women and children,” he added. In a proactive step, he penned an urgent letter to the National Commission for Women (NCW), pressing for a fact-finding team to probe the state’s spiraling concerns.
As of now, the college administration has stayed mum, offering no public comment on preventive measures or student welfare. The investigation presses on, with the survivor receiving counseling amid calls for systemic reforms to safeguard educational environments. This grim episode underscores the urgent imperative for vigilance and accountability in places meant to foster growth, not harbor peril.