Bengaluru: A disturbing case has emerged from Karnataka's Gadag district, where police have arrested seven people, including a doctor and a nurse, for allegedly raping a mentally challenged woman and forcibly terminating her pregnancy.
The case was registered at the Gadag Women's Police Station on July 26. The accused arrested so far have been identified as Sikandar Gulabsab Bepari, Shabbir Ahmed Langoti alias Joonsab, Pradeep Sagar Navalekar, Bharat Mahadevappa Koravar, Sandeep Sagar Navalekar, RMP doctor Nagaraj Kamtar from Bellatti village, and staff nurse Rekha Shirahatti from Shigali.
According to police officials, four accused—Sikandar, Shabbir, Pradeep and Bharat—allegedly sexually assaulted the woman on multiple occasions at different locations. Police said the accused tried to suppress the matter after the woman became pregnant by offering money to her family and allegedly threatening them against approaching authorities.
The investigation revealed that the woman was around three months pregnant when Sandeep Sagar Navalekar, along with RMP doctor Nagaraj Kamtar and nurse Rekha Shirahatti, allegedly administered abortion pills to terminate the pregnancy.
Gadag Superintendent of Police Rohan Jagadish termed the case highly serious and said special teams have been formed to investigate the matter. He assured that strict action would be taken against all those involved and no accused would be spared.
Police are also investigating the role of other individuals named by the victim's family for allegedly assisting in the illegal abortion process.