A third-year student of an engineering college in Tiruchi was allegedly raped by a man, who posed as a policeman, on the outskirts of the city in the early hours on Sunday.
The police said the crime was committed in the early hours on Sunday when the girl, an inmate of college hostel , was speaking with a male friend of hers near the Thuvakudi bus stop.
The sources said the girl along with her friend reportedly had gone to watch a movie and were spending time near the bus stop when the man reportedly questioned them about their presence outside the hostel at odd hours.
The man thereafter allegedly threatened and assaulted the victim’s friend. Under the guise of taking the girl to the college hostel, he took her to a secluded area a few metres away and raped her and escaped on a two-wheeler.
On Monday, the Thuvakudi Police arrested the accused, Manikandan, 30, after a search. He was booked under under IPC sections including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 366 (kidnap) 376 (rape) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation).
The accused was secured based on the description given by the victim and her male friend, said police sources.
Manikandan was involved in a couple of house break-ins and theft cases, the police said. After enquiries, he was taken for a medical examination.
