The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Attack on Australian woman: special teams constituted to trace accused

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 18, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Attack on Australian woman: special teams constituted to trace accused

Staff Reporter

An autorickshaw driver robbed her of valuables at knifepoint and allegedly attempted to rape her

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Rural district and the city police have stepped up investigation to trace the autorickshaw driver who robbed an Australian woman of her valuables at knifepoint and allegedly attempted to rape her in Chikkajala police station limits on Saturday.

On the basis of the information given by Sarah Paular (21), who is here on a six-week assignment to deliver lectures, the Bangalore Rural district police have prepared a sketch of the driver. The police are showing the computer-generated portraits autorickshaw drivers to establish the identity of the accused. They are also contacting autorickshaw drivers' unions. The police have formed special teams to apprehend the accused.

Meanwhile, the Fraser Town police have started a similar exercise to trace the driver as Paular had boarded the autorickshaw from near Don Bosco Church in Cook Town in their jurisdiction.

She was part of a 20-member team from Australia. While her team-mates were in Chennai, she had come to Bangalore. On Saturday morning, she boarded an autorickshaw to reach the Kempegowda bus station.

But, the driver took a wrong route and proceeded towards Devanahalli Road and stopped vehicle at a secluded place near Bellalli Cross.

He snatched Paular's bag containing Rs. 3,000 and an expensive camera. Later, he allegedly attempted to rape her, the police said. She resisted his attempts, raised an alarm and started running for cover. On hearing her screams, the villagers came to her rescue.

On seeing the public, the driver sped away in the autorickshaw, the police said.

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