M A I N   N E W S

B’lore rape: Two gym instructors arrested
Tribune News Service

Bangalore, July 29
In a dramatic turnaround, the Bangalore police last night made two fresh arrests in the rape case while giving a clean chit to Mustafa, skating instructor in the school, who was arrested earlier for his alleged involvement in the crime.

The police arrested Lal Giri and Wasim Pasha, gym instructors in the Vibgyor High School, and charged them with rape of the six-year-old girl student of the school.

"We have found substantial evidence, including the CCTV footage, against them", said Abhishek Goyal, DCP (Crime). He said both the accused have confessed to their involvement. "In due course, we will present them before the victim for identification", Goyal said.

The two accused, both in their twenties, will be produced in court and their custodial interrogation would be sought by police, Goyal said.

On July 20, the city police had arrested skating instructor Mustafa at a time when police was under intense pressure to arrest the culprits. The parents of the school children, those living close to the school and members of the public took out a protest march in the city on July 19 that threatened to turn violent.

In the Assembly, the Opposition attacked the government for spurt in sex crimes. The irate parents wanted arrest of the culprit and the police, headed by the then city police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar, took Mustafa in custody. Auradkar announced that pornographic videos, including footage of rape of children downloaded from the internet, had been found from Mustafa’s laptop and mobile phone.

The pornographic material, allegedly found from Mustafa, appeared to be police’s most important evidence against the 32-year-old skating instructor to link him with the case.

However, M N Reddi, who has replaced Auradkar as the Bangalore city police commissioner, today said Mustafa was “arrested on the basis of circumstantial evidence at that point of time”. He said investigators had ruled out Mustafa’s involvement in the crime.

“Mustafa is now in judicial custody. In all probability, he will be released soon after some formalities are completed”, said Goyal.

Goyal, however, informed that another girl (no connection with the Vibgyor school case) has filed a complaint of molestation against Mustafa and a separate FIR has been registered against the skating instructor.

The alleged incident at Vibgyor had occurred on July 2 while the complaint with police was lodged by the victim’s parents on July 14. Reddi said with the two arrests made last night, the case had been solved.

Besides Mustafa, the Mumbai-based chairman of the Vibgyor group of schools Rustom Kerawalla was also arrested. Kerawalla was, however, released on bail soon.