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TN man accused of raping British woman nabbed in Bengaluru

A 30-year-old rape accused who escaped from judicial custody last month has been arrested in Bengaluru, Goa Police said on Tuesday. Ramachandra Yellappa is accused of allegedly raping a 48-year-old British tourist near South Goa’s Canacona railway station and had fled from custody while he was being shifted to a court for trial on June 28.

“A team of officials from Margao town police station has arrested the accused Ramachandra Yellappa in Bengaluru based on a tip-off,” a Goa Police spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday.

Ramachandra, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was being escorted to a trial court for a hearing last month, when he escaped from the toilet of the court complex, forcing the police to launch a manhunt to trace him. The two police constables, Ramdas Gawas, attached to the Valpoi Police Station in North Goa and Rama Patel who was posted with the India Reserve Battalion were suspended pending an inquiry.

Ramachandran, a resident of Thanjavur, was previously arrested in connection with a theft at another beach village in North Goa earlier in December, but had escaped from the police custody. Inspector General of Police Jaspal Singh on December 20 had said that his initial motive of the 30-year-old was to rob her. The police had also stated that the accused was involved in other theft cases at the Morjim village in North Goa.

The police had made the arrest after he was seen and identified on CCTV stalking the victim.

In December last year, the 42-year-old British tourist, a regular visitor to Goa, was raped and then robbed, as she was returning to her guest house from a railway station at 4.30 a.m. The crime, which was committed near a public road had created a furore in Goa, with many questioning the state government’s attitude towards women’s safety, especially women tourists. 

(With inputs from IANS)

Source: The News Minute