Jeevan Gowda, a 22-year-old engineering student, was placed in judicial custody following a complaint from a survivor who was initially too traumatized to report the incident. The alleged rape occurred on October 10 within their college premises, but was not reported until five days later after the survivor, a seventh-semester student, confided in her parents. The survivor stated that she had met Jeevan during lunch to collect materials when he invited her to the seventh floor near the architecture block. It was there that he purportedly attempted to kiss her and, when she resisted, forcibly dragged her into the men’s washroom on the sixth floor, where the assault allegedly transpired. During the attack, he reportedly took her phone.
Both individuals were familiar with each other as they attended the same institution, although Jeevan was in a lower semester due to academic delays. After overcoming her initial shock, the survivor sought help from authorities with her parents’ support. Forensic tests are currently ongoing, but the lack of CCTV footage from the location has hindered the investigation. This incident has prompted political backlash, with opposition leaders condemning the Karnataka government for its inadequate measures to ensure women’s safety. BJP leader R Ashok highlighted a troubling increase in sexual assault cases, stating that over 970 incidents involving girls were reported in the last four months, including more than 100 in Bengaluru alone.
He has called for immediate action, characterizing the incident as indicative of administrative failure.