In a village in Gadag, a young woman’s silence hid months of abuse. It surfaced only when her pregnancy could no longer be ignored. Now, a video and a mother’s complaint have opened a case.
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A case of sexual assault has surfaced from Arahunasi village in Rona taluk, Gadag district, Karnataka. The victim is a young woman with a mental disability. Police have registered a case against a man named Durgappa after her mother filed a complaint.
The mother stated that Durgappa lured her daughter with chocolates and snacks. He then assaulted her repeatedly over a period of time. The matter came to light only after the woman was found to be nearly six months pregnant.
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The victim’s mother approached police once she learned what had happened. Separately, local youths had already noticed signs of abuse and alerted the relevant authorities.
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Investigators say the accused recorded videos of the assaults on his phone. One of these videos reportedly began circulating locally. This is what pushed residents to report the matter to police.
On July 6, the woman was taken to Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences for a medical check-up. Police have opened an investigation. They are working to confirm the sequence of events, including how the video spread and who viewed or shared it.
No further details on the accused’s arrest status have been released yet.
This is not an isolated incident in the state. Karnataka has seen several similar crimes against women with mental disabilities in recent years.
Hassan, 2025: Three men were arrested for gang-raping woman with mental disability. They filmed the assault and sent video to the victim’s brother.
Mysuru, 2021: A woman undergoing treatment in destitute ward of KR Hospital, a government facility, was raped by unidentified person. She was moved to Cheluvamba Hospital for specialized care. The incident led to a review of security and CCTV coverage at the hospital.
2017 case involving police personnel: An Assistant Sub-Inspector and a driver were arrested after the officer, while on duty, offered to drop a 32-year-old woman with a mental disability home. He raped her inside the moving vehicle instead. He was later convicted and given a 20-year prison sentence.
2019 case: A 25-year-old woman with a mental disability was raped at home while her family had stepped out briefly to attend a temple fair nearby. Police arrested the accused quickly. Forensic evidence helped secure his conviction in court that year.
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