HUBBALLI: A 35-year-old woman was allegedly raped by two men in Hubballi, and photographs and videos of the assault were later circulated on a messaging platform, police said on Sunday. Police have arrested the two men accused of the sexual assault and a third person who allegedly shared the visuals. All three will be produced before a court. The woman is reported to be stable and has been sent for medical examination. Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said the incident took place between 11.30pm and midnight on January 9. The woman was allegedly picked up in an autorickshaw from Ambedkar Ground, where the accused misbehaved with her, forced her to consume alcohol and sexually assaulted her. The men allegedly recorded photos and videos of the act before dropping her back at the same location. Police came to know about the incident after the visuals began circulating among the public, prompting alerts to authorities. The woman was later traced within Hubballi city. “Initially, her identity was not known. During the inquiry, it emerged that she had been staying near temples across the city for the past one-and-a-half months and was eating at Siddharoodha Math,” the commissioner said. Police registered a case suo motu before recording a formal complaint after locating the woman. An FIR has been filed under sections related to rape and provisions of the IT Act for recording and circulating the videos. According to police, the woman had come to Hubballi around six weeks ago from another district following a dispute with her husband. He has since been arrested in connection with that matter and is currently lodged in Shivamogga jail. The accused in the rape case have been identified as Shivanand and Ganesh, while Pradeep has been arrested for allegedly circulating the videos. All three work as daily-wage labourers. Police said some residents of the Old Hubballi area allegedly assaulted and tonsured the two rape accused after learning about their involvement. A separate case was registered based on a complaint filed by Shivanand, and four persons have been taken into custody in connection with the assault. The commissioner said instructions have been issued to identify homeless women and children near public places and shift them to rescue and rehabilitation centres.
