Bengaluru: Medical student held for abusing women, stalking them for 10km

BENGALURU: A 28-year-old orthopaedic student has been arrested on charges of abusing a 49-year-old homemaker and her daughter and stalking them after they objected to his alleged obscene behaviour in the wee hours of December 11.
The accused is Vijay Bharadwaj, a third-year orthopaedic student at Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences. Vijay, who is from Muzaffarnagar in Bihar, lives in a paying guest accommodation at Banashankari.
Based on a complaint filed by the homemaker, Amrutahalli police registered a case against the accused under different sections of IPC, including 354A (sexual harassment) and 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe).
The woman, in her complaint, said that early morning on December 11, she and her children were returning to their Banashankari home after attending a function in Hoskote. Vijay allegedly followed them from Veerannanapalya junction, Hebbal Ring Road, to Goraguntepalya junction, a distance of more than 10km. However, he sped away when the woman and her children stopped their vehicle near two police constables deployed at Goraguntepalya junction, Tumakuru Road, around 4am.
Family’s tyre trouble
According to the homemaker, around 2am, their car tyre went flat near Veerannanapalya junction. “On noticing the flat tyre, my son parked the vehicle by the roadside and along with his sister began replacing it. The suspect came in another car (DL-10-CG-5396), stopped near us and started using sexually explicit language. When we resisted, he abused us and issued dire threats. By then, the tyre was replaced and we left the place. The suspect started following us. At times, he’d come close to our vehicle and ram it from behind. Again, he would overtake our car and suddenly stop his vehicle in the middle of the road. On seeing two police constables near Goraguntepalya junction, we stopped the car and shouted for help. The constables tried to stop him, but he sped away,” the woman said in her complaint.
Deputy commissioner of police (northeast) CK Baba said the accused was on the run for two days.
“The case was registered on Saturday. Sensing police were after him, the accused did not return to his PG accommodation. Instead, he visited different friends and stayed with them. However, we traced him on Monday night and arrested him,” said Baba. Vijay, whose parents are doctors in Muzaffarnagar, has been remanded in judicial custody.
“At such times, we request people to call 112. A police petrol vehicle will reach them at the earliest. Even dialing 100 will help,” added Baba.