Bengaluru woman 'stripped, assaulted and filmed' over loan dispute; 4 arrested

Four people, including two women, have been arrested in Bengaluru after a woman alleged that she was stripped, assaulted and filmed over her inability to repay interest on loans, police said.

The accused have been identified as Nazrath, Reshma, Suhail and Saif. The Chandra Layout police took them into custody after the woman was traced following a missing-person complaint filed by her mother.

According to the complaint, the woman had borrowed Rs 1 lakh from Reshma around two years ago. She allegedly could not pay the interest on the loan for about six months.

Victim allegedly taken to house

The woman had also borrowed Rs 50,000 from Nazrath, whom she knew through Reshma. She had reportedly been paying Rs 5,000 every week but was unable to make the payments for around four weeks because of financial difficulties.

The complainant said she later blocked Reshma's number and moved to another location as she feared continued harassment.

Police said Nazrath subsequently contacted the woman and allegedly offered to help her find work and provide financial assistance. When she went to Nazrath's house, she was allegedly abused and assaulted by Suhail.

The woman further alleged that she was then forced into an autorickshaw. Reshma and Nazrath allegedly sat beside her, while Suhail and two other people accompanied them.

The group allegedly took her to a house near Kumbalgodu, where the woman said she was confined.

Assault allegedly filmed and used as threat

According to her complaint, the woman was stripped and assaulted at the house. She alleged that the accused recorded the incident and threatened to circulate the video online.

Meanwhile, her mother had approached the Chandra Layout police station and filed a missing-person complaint.

Police traced the woman and rescued her following the complaint. The four accused were subsequently arrested.

The police have begun a further investigation into the allegations, including the circumstances surrounding the loan dispute, the alleged assault and the recording of the incident.