Student forced to hold drugs & lethal weapon, blackmailed with video by junior and gang in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A 19-year-old first-year BSc LLB student at a private university went through a horrid ordeal after he was allegedly lured to a lodge by his junior under the pretext of meeting friends. He was allegedly threatened, assaulted, and robbed by a gang of six youths, including minors.The victim, Aabid (name changed), a resident of RT Nagar, told police, he completed his PUC last year from an international residential school near Kengeri. While he was in PU, one of the 17-year-olds accused was studying in class 10 in the same school, and they knew each other.This year, both joined different colleges. The junior friend messaged and called Aabid on Instagram on May 16. The next day, he again made an Instagram call and insisted on meeting him along with other mutual friends. Aabid was asked to reach Vijayanagar and give him a call. After reaching the place with another friend, he informed his junior. The junior’s friend Harsha then sent him the location of a lodge.The duo reached the lodge around 5pm. The junior took them to a room where they initially spoke casually about studies and college life, the victim said. The situation turned frightening after the junior asked Aabid’s friend to leave the room. The junior told Aabid to stay in the room for another five minutes, saying his elder brother would come and pick them up in a car. A few minutes later, five others barged into the room. All six immediately asked the victim how much money he had. When he said he had none, they forced him to hold drugs and a lethal weapon and recorded a video on their mobile phone to blackmail him, threatening to leak the video if he failed to pay money, Aabid told police.Aabid pleaded with them to delete the video and leave him unharmed. They later took Aabid in an auto to Nagarabhavi around 6pm. They stopped at a deserted place where they assaulted him, snatched his mobile phone, and made repeated attempts to take loans in Aabid’s name through his phone. When they failed, they robbed him of his phone, wristwatch, and earbuds before abandoning him on the roadside around 8.30pm, Aabid said.The traumatised student later returned home and informed his parents about his ordeal. On May 18, he went to Byatarayanapura police station along with his parents and lodged a complaint.A case is registered under BNS sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 127 (wrongful confinement), and 310 (dacoity). A senior officer said, “We have arrested 19-year-old Harsha, and two juveniles, including the junior, and efforts are on to nab three others.”The accused confessed that they wanted to rob Aabid as he belonged to a rich family, and make quick money for partying.