Manipal:
The three suspects wanted for allegedly gang-raping a young student in the university town of Manipal have been arrested. Two of them have been hospitalised after they reportedly attempted suicide.
"I received a call in the morning. The person on the other line revealed to me that he had committed the crime, and he is committing suicide as he knows he would not be spared," said Prathap Reddy, Inspector General (Western Range), Manipal.
The student was abducted last week after she left the library late at night by the men who were reportedly in an auto-rickshaw. The police say they took the student, who is from Kerala, to a secluded place and raped her.
She is recovering in hospital.
Almost 200 police personnel - 11 teams headed by top police officials - were involved in the investigation. Four teams were dedicated to questioning the drivers of almost 10,000 autos that play in Udupi district in search of the suspects. They had also offered a reward of two lakhs for information that could lead to the arrests of the wanted men. The Manipal University had announced an additional three lakhs for any leads on the trio.
The investigation had been slowed down by the decision to not force the woman to give any statement until she was ready.
With the arrest of the suspects, students and authorities are bound to feel a sense of relief.
Manipal authorities are also putting measures in place which, they hope, will enhance security and ensure against a repeat of an attack of this nature.
The assault on the woman had shocked students in the town which was, so far, considered a safe haven for the almost 18,000 students on campus.