Bengaluru – A 22-year-old delivery agent has been arrested by RT Nagar police in Bengaluru for allegedly sexually assaulting a 21-year-old Brazilian model in her apartment. The accused, identified as Kumar, was working for an online grocery delivery firm. He has been remanded to judicial custody and is currently held at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on October 17th at approximately 3:30 PM when the victim, who has been working as a model for a private company for the past two months, had placed an online grocery order. The company provided her and two other foreign national models with accommodation in a flat in Sultanpalya.
The victim's colleague filed a police complaint on October 25th, stating that when Kumar arrived to deliver the groceries to her first-floor apartment and she opened the door, he allegedly misbehaved with her and touched her inappropriately under the pretense of handing over the parcel. Shocked by the assault, the woman pushed him out and locked the door.
The victim, in a state of shock and fear, did not immediately disclose the incident. It was only later that she confided in her flatmates about the experience. Subsequently, her employer was alerted, who then reviewed CCTV footage, confirming the incident. Following the confirmation, a formal complaint was lodged with the RT Nagar police.
Based on the complaint filed by Karthik Vinayak, the employer of the victim, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Kumar, charging him under sections 75(1) (offence of sexual harassment) and 76 (assaulting a woman or using criminal force against her with the intent to disrobe her or compel her to be naked) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The police swiftly tracked down Kumar, who is also a diploma student at a private college and works part-time as a delivery executive. He was arrested on Sunday and presented before the court, which ordered him to be held in judicial custody. The online grocery delivery company has reportedly terminated Kumar's services following the incident.
This incident has sparked outrage and concern regarding the safety and security of women, especially those working in vulnerable situations. Authorities are urging companies to conduct thorough background checks on their employees and implement stricter safety measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. The police are continuing their investigation into the matter.
