Minor rape case – Former mayor Ashraf interrogated by Bunder police

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Feb 20, 2012 : The Bunder police interrogated Ashraf, the former mayor of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC), on the night of Feb 19 Sunday with regard to the alleged sexual abuse and rape of a minor girl by two men in Bunder.

 

Waheed and Mubarak, both accused of raping the 13-year-old repeatedly for the past one year, have now fled the city and the police have launched a manhunt for them.

When Ashraf was brought to the Bunder Police Station in a jeep, his friends and supporters gathered in front of the police station and began protesting against bringing Ashraf to the police station late at night for interrogation.

Seemanth Kumar Singh, the Mangalore city commissioner, visited the Bunder police station. Several Congress leaders, including MLA U. T. Khader and MLA Abhayachandra Jain, visited the police station and urged the police to release Ashraf. The protestors continued protesting in front of the police station a long time after their leader’s release. Inspector Vinay Gaonkar and the rest of the police personnel found it difficult to handle the crowd.

On Saturday, the minor had accused two married men in Bunder of repeatedly raping her for the past one year. She had first spoken to her neighbor, who informed her parents about it. The girl was later taken to hospital for a medical examination and will be subjected to another medical examination shortly.

Ashraf said that ACP Ravindra Gadadi came to his house during the Mouleed program and wanted to know where Waheed was. When he said that he did not know, he was asked to get into the police jeep. Stating that he was forcibly taken to the police station, Ashraf said that he would have willingly come to the police station if the ACP had called him and that there was no need to force him as he is a people’s representative.