Bengaluru Engineering Student Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault on Campus

A shocking incident has emerged from a private engineering college in South Bengaluru, where a female student was allegedly raped by her classmate inside a men’s washroom on campus. The accused, identified as 21-year-old Jeevan Gowda, has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody, police confirmed on Wednesday.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the alleged assault occurred on October 10, while the survivor lodged her complaint five days later, on October 15. The case has been registered under Section 64 (Punishment for Rape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), India’s new criminal code.

Investigators revealed that the survivor and the accused were previously classmates, until Gowda reportedly fell behind academically due to pending backlogs. On the day of the incident, the survivor met Gowda briefly to collect her belongings. During the lunch break, Gowda allegedly made repeated calls, asking her to meet him again.

When the survivor arrived, the FIR states that Gowda attempted to forcibly kiss her. As she tried to leave using the lift, he followed her to the sixth floor, dragged her into a men’s washroom, and sexually assaulted her.

The survivor later confided in two friends about the ordeal. The FIR further mentions that Gowda subsequently called the victim and allegedly asked if she “needed a pill,” implying awareness of the assault’s gravity.

Initially reluctant to approach the authorities, the survivor eventually informed her parents, who accompanied her to the Hanumanthanagar Police Station to file the complaint.

Police sources stated that the accused was taken into custody the following day and produced before a magistrate, after which he was remanded to judicial custody.

Authorities have confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that statements from witnesses, including students and campus staff, are being recorded. Meanwhile, the institution has yet to release an official statement on the incident.

This case has sparked widespread concern over campus safety and institutional accountability, with several student groups demanding stricter preventive measures and enhanced surveillance within educational premises.