The Bengaluru city police have arrested an imposter, who allegedly lured women by promising to get them lucrative jobs and then sexually assaulted them. He operated in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, said the police, who have uncovered at least six such instances across the States.
“Three of the victims were sexually assaulted and the other three were swindled,” the police said.
The accused has been identified as Jahangir, 30, a resident of Srirangam, who worked as a manager at a resort in Chennai. He is an MBA graduate and has been duping women and sexually abusing them for years, the police said. “We suspect there are more victims who have not lodged a complaint, fearing public disclosure. We request them to come forward and lodge complaints, and their identities will be protected,” said Sharanappa, DCP (East).
Janhangir reportedly introduced himself to his victims using fake names such as Karthik Reddy, Kiran Reddy and Mohammed Al, and claimed that he was an industrialist with several interests in hospitality, media and advertising. “He would also claim to be the second richest man in Bengaluru,” the police added.
The police launched a probe after a woman lodged a complaint with the Ulsoor police in October, alleging that a man by the name of Karthik Reddy befriended her in front of a mall on M.G. Road. He told her that he was the son of an MLA from Tamil Nadu, who runs several restaurants and resorts. He promised her a job in his business and asked her to get in his car, where he threatened her and snatched her mobile phone and other possessions.
In her complaint, the woman said that he booked a room in Kadubeesanahalli using her mobile phone, took her there, and kept her in captivity for a few days, where he raped her and threatened to kill her. Pointing a pistol at her, he threatened to kill her if she tried to flee. He eventually paid the rent from her mobile phone and fled.
Trail of assaults
While the police were probing the case, a similar incident was reported from M.G. Road in the first week of November. The suspect allegedly promised a woman that he would make her famous as a model and an actress, and took her to a hotel room. “In this case, the woman fled from the room when he tried to molest her. We collected the CCTV camera footage from the hotel and realised it was the same perpetrator,” said a senior police officer.
The man was soon tracked down to Chennai and arrested. While in custody, he allegedly confessed to raping a woman. On November 1, he befriended a woman in Whitefield, after promising her a leadership role in an advertising agency. “He took her to a room booked in her name. The victim has not lodged a complaint,” the senior police officer added.
The police have uncovered three other cases. “He has raped a woman in Chennai. The other two cases are in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, where he robbed two women, took away their ATM cards and withdrew money before abandoning them,” said the police.
