Nearly two months after a woman was molested at Kammanahalli in Bengaluru in the wee hours of 1 January, the survivor has reportedly identified the accused.
The woman identified several men, including Aiyappa and Lenin alias Leno – who had followed her on a bike and molested her – and others in the gang, in an identification parade held at Parappana Agrahara central prison in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Though police had nabbed all the six accused days after the incident, they had failed to convince the woman to appear for the identification parade. Aiyappa (19), Leno (20), Sudesh (20), James (20), Somashekar (24) and George (23) are the six accused in the case.
On Tuesday, the identification parade was held in the presence of an inquest official – a tahsildar.
In the best interest of the case where the crime committed was clear on CCTV footage and had sparked nationwide outrage, we did not want the case to have loose ends with the victim’s non-cooperation, which is understandably due to her own safety and security concerns.Police told Decan Herald
Police had organised an identification parade at the prison three times in the past, but the woman did not appear, reportedly due to fear of her identity being compromised. According to a report in India Today, the woman had even shifted her house following the incident.
The Hindu reports that the Banaswadi police assured the woman that her identity would be protected.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)