Relative rapes 20-yr-old woman; his 3 friends rape her minor sister

Savadatti (Belagavi dist), Mar 14: A 20-year-old married woman was raped by her relative, while her minor sister was raped by three of his friends at Yaragatti in the taluk on Saturday night.

The woman - a resident of K?Shivapura village - had recently come to Yaragatti, her native village. She had been to a medical store along with her 14-year-old sister to buy medicines for her ailing daughter, at around 8.30 am.

Padeppa Fakirappa Bannur, 19, of Soppadla in the taluk, the relative, arrived there and offered to drop the sisters home and they agreed. But Bannur took them to a farmhouse and assaulted the woman sexually. Four of his friends - Bheerappa Ningappa Kitadal, 21, of Sattigeri, Mallappa Arjun Junjuri, 23, of Yaragatti, and Bheerappa Rudrappa Adakalagundi, 20, and Maruti Arjun Bhavihal, 20 - got wind of this and they arrived at the farmhouse.

Kitadal is said to have encouraged the other three to rape the minor girl and they indulged in the act. The sisters returned home and informed their family members about the incident.

The parents filed a complaint in this regard with the Murgod police. Medical tests were conducted on the sisters at the Belagavi district hospital. The police are on the lookout for the suspects who are absconding.