Karnataka: After Video Of 7 Haveri Gangrape Accused Released On Bail Shows Them Holding Victory Parade, 4 Arrested Again

Haveri: A day after a video of seven accused in the 2024 Haveri gangrape case in Karnataka celebrating on streets after their release on bail surfaced online, the police again arrested four of them. Notably, the seven accused accused staged a public celebration after securing bail on Thursday, May 23.

In the video, the accused were seen in a procession of cars with sunroofs open and motorbikes, flashing victory signs and chanting slogans in the Akki Alur town of Haveri.

Haveri SP A K Srivastava told The Times of India that four of the seven suspects had since been arrested again. The senior police officials said that a fresh FIR was registered against the seven accused under the new penal code Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of unlawful assembly to rioting and criminal intimidation. Notably, the other three accused are still absconding.

Here Is The Video Of The Celebration By The Accused:

The investigation officer has petitioned the court for cancellation of their bail," the SP said as reported by TOI.

The seven accused, identified as - Aftab Chandanakatti, Madar Saab Mandakki, Samiwulla Lalanavar, Mohammad Sadiq Agasimani, Shoib Mulla, Tausip Choti, and Riyaz Savikeri, were recently granted bail by the Haveri Sessions Court after the survivor, during court proceedings, failed to positively identify them.

The accused had been in judicial custody for months following their arrest in connection with the brutal gangrape of a 26-year-old woman. The incident had sparked political and public uproar in the state last year.

The case dates back to January 8, 2024, when an interfaith couple checked into a lodge in Hanagal. A group of men allegedly stormed the room, assaulted the couple, and later dragged the woman to a nearby forest, where she was reportedly gang-raped. Initially filed as a case of moral policing, the charges were escalated after the woman gave a detailed statement to a magistrate three days later.

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