Former Congress MLC Raghu Achar joins JD(S) after being denied Congress ticket
Bengaluru: Former Congress member and ex-MLC G Raghu Achar joined the Janata Dal (Secular) on Friday in Bengaluru. The move came after Achar was denied a ticket to contest the upcoming Assembly elections from Chitradurga.
A formal event was held at the JP Bhavan, where Achar was welcomed into the JD(S) by party supremo HD Kumaraswamy and JD(S) State President CM Ibrahim.
Hundreds of Achar’s supporters were also present at the event. The former MLC had expressed his desire to contest from Chitradurga, but the Congress had chosen to field KC Veerendra for the polls this year, much to Achar’s disappointment.
With his induction into the JD(S), Achar will be hoping to revive his political career and make a mark in the upcoming elections.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: College student alleges gangrape at private villa, two booked
Bengaluru (PTI): A case of gangrape has been registered against two men after a 19-year-old college student alleged that they sexually assaulted her after forcibly administering her a tablet, police said on Monday.
She claimed that the incident occurred at a private villa here on February 15, but that she did not approach the police earlier out of fear, they said.
A day before the woman approached Amruthahalli police station with her complaint on February 22, a case was registered against her at the Malleshwaram police station following a complaint by the two accused.
They alleged that she, along with a male acquaintance, was attempting to extort Rs 10 lakh from them on the pretext of certain video clips, a senior police officer said.
“Based on the statement of the student in our case, we have registered a case under Sections 64 (rape), 70(1) (gangrape), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. We are investigating the case based on the allegations levelled by both parties, following which appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
According to the complaint lodged at Amruthahalli Police Station, the woman, who is pursuing her first-year degree at a city college, stated that she became acquainted with one of the accused through Instagram in January 2026. The two had met a couple of times at a café in Koramangala and were in regular contact over phone and social media.
On February 14, after attending college, she went out for dinner with a friend. Later that night, the accused allegedly asked her to come to a villa in Jakkur for a party. She reached the villa around 1.15 am along with her friend, where the accused and another man were present, the FIR said.
In her complaint, the woman alleged that the two men forcibly put a pink-coloured tablet into her mouth. Within minutes, she felt dizzy, experienced sweating and blurred vision, and lost consciousness.
She further alleged that when she regained partial consciousness inside a room, one of the men was touching her inappropriately. Both men then allegedly sexually assaulted her against her will despite her resistance, the FIR stated.
The woman also alleged that the accused later locked her inside the room and, the next day, dropped her near a mall while threatening her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone or approached the police.
Police said the complainant sought medical treatment at a city hospital on February 17. After informing her brother, who encouraged her to approach the police, she lodged a complaint with a delay, citing fear due to the alleged threats.
Further investigation is underway, police said.
