Begusarai (Bihar) [India], September 30 : The main accused in the alleged rape and assault of a woman inside a hotel in Bihar's Begusarai was arrested from Samastipur district after allegedly attempting to flee, police said.
The accused, identified as Rohit Kumar, was arrested from the Mohiuddinnagar area of Samastipur late Tuesday evening by a team of Begusarai Police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT), according to police.
Police said Kumar sustained an injury to his leg while allegedly attempting to escape after being apprehended. He was initially taken to a healthcare centre in Bachhwara for treatment and was subsequently shifted to Begusarai Sadar Hospital.
Begusarai Superintendent of Police Manish clarified that Kumar had not suffered a gunshot injury and that there was no encounter between the police and the accused. The injury was sustained while he was allegedly trying to flee, police said.
The arrest came a day after police registered an FIR based on the woman's complaint regarding the alleged incident at a hotel in the town area of Begusarai.
According to the complaint, the woman, who is associated with a self-help group programme, had gone out on September 27 to collect loan repayments from members of self-help groups. Police said she encountered her neighbour Vikram Kumar Sahni, who allegedly offered her a ride on his motorcycle.
The woman alleged that Sahni took her to an area near a cinema hall, where Rohit Kumar was already present. She further alleged that the two took her to a hotel on the pretext of having a conversation.
According to the FIR and police account, the woman alleged that Kumar took her to a hotel room, locked the room and sexually assaulted her while allegedly threatening her with a knife. She also alleged that she was physically assaulted and that a video of the assault was recorded and subsequently circulated online.
Police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. The investigation includes examination of digital evidence related to the alleged circulation of the video.
The police have secured the hotel room where the alleged incident took place and a forensic team has been deployed to collect and examine evidence, officials said.
The second accused, Vikram Kumar Sahni, was arrested earlier from Begusarai. Police said the two accused are related to each other as brothers-in-law. Both accused were arrested within 24 hours of the FIR being registered, according to police.
Police also seized the mobile phone allegedly used to record the video, while the woman's number was reportedly blocked after the video was circulated using her number, according to police-related reports.