Woman sexually assaulted, blackmailed with private videos by friend in K'taka
Bengaluru (PTI): A 26-year-old woman working at a private hospital here was allegedly sexually assaulted by her male friend, who sedated her and later blackmailed her with private videos demanding sexual favours, police said on Monday.
She also accused him of humiliating her with casteist slurs, they added.
The incident came to light on Friday when the woman filed a complaint with the High Grounds police.
Based on her statement, a case was registered against the accused under sections of rape, sexual assault, criminal intimidation, and outraging the modesty of a woman.
The accused has also been charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
According to her complaint, the woman alleged that she met the accused in 2019 while working at a credit card company. He befriended her and later invited her to a family function, where he offered her a drink laced with sedatives. She claimed she became unconscious after consuming the drink, after which he took her to a room, sexually assaulted her, and recorded the act.
She further alleged that he used the video to blackmail her for sexual favours. Although she changed jobs to escape his harassment, he continued to threaten her, saying he would make the video public if she did not comply.
The woman also alleged that he humiliated her with casteist slurs when she objected to his demands and instead asked him to marry her, a senior police officer said.
“Based on the complaint, we have registered a case. All allegations are being thoroughly investigated. However, since the alleged incident, as per the woman’s statement, occurred in RT Nagar, the case will be transferred to the respective jurisdiction,” the officer added.
The accused has not been arrested yet.
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Israel's top general resigns citing security failures during Oct 7 attack
Jerusalem, Jan 21 (AP): Israel's top general resigned on Tuesday, citing the security and intelligence failures related to Hamas' surprise attack that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
Israel meanwhile launched a large operation in the occupied West Bank, killing at least six people, according to Palestinian officials.
Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security breakdown on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led members carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities for hours.
The attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the group abducted another 250. More than 90 captives are still being held in Gaza, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Halevi's resignation came just says into a fragile ceasefire with Hamas that could lead to an end to the war and the return of the remaining captives.
Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of Israel's Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also tendered his resignation.
The resignation of the two senior generals will likely add to calls for a public inquiry into the October 7 failures, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whose leadership could be implicated — has said must wait until the war is over.
Halevi had also appeared to be at odds with Israel's new defence minister, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war, with Halevi saying Israel had accomplished most of its goals and Katz echoing Netanyahu's vow to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas.
In his letter of resignation, Halevi said the military, under his command, had “failed in its mission to defend the State of Israel" when Hamas attacked but had made “significant achievements” in the ensuing war, which rippled across the Middle East.
Halevi, who began what was meant to be a three-year term in January 2023 said his resignation would go into effect March 6.
