Security guard arrested for raping Ahmedabad student shot in leg while trying to flee police custody

Ahmedabad: A rape accused in Ahmedabad was shot in the leg by police after he attempted to escape custody and snatched a police inspector’s service revolver during a late-night recovery panchnama in the Hebatpur area, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Dhram Singh, had been arrested on Sunday in connection with the rape case of a 23-year-old interior design student at a paying guest accommodation in Anandnagar.

He was taken to Hebatpur later that night to recover the woman’s mobile phone, which police said he had stolen after the assault.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 7) Shivam Varma said that Dhram Singh had undergone medical tests and DNA sampling before being taken to the location for the recovery proceedings.

“During the process of this recovery panchnama, the accused, in an attempt to escape police custody, tried to snatch the service revolver of Inspector RS Parmar. A scuffle ensued, and Constable Virendrasinh was hurt in the process. An officer fired two rounds at the leg of the accused, one of which hit him. The condition of the accused and the injured constable is stable,” DCP Varma told reporters outside the hospital.

Both Dhram Singh and the injured police constable were taken to GMERS Sola Civil Hospital for treatment.

The accused was brought to the hospital on a stretcher with a bandage around his right foot. Senior police officers, including the JCP and DCP, also reached the hospital following the firing.

Police indicated a separate case would be registered against Dhram Singh at Bodakdev Police Station in connection with the alleged attempt to escape custody and seize the officer’s firearm.

Officials said the investigation would examine the circumstances of the confrontation and the police response.

The latest development comes a day after Dhram Singh was arrested following a manhunt involving more than 10 teams from Anandnagar police, the Local Crime Branch and Crime Branch.

Police allege that the accused, who is from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh and had joined the residential complex as a security guard only days before the incident, attacked the student on the terrace of the building on Saturday night.

According to JCP Neeraj Badgujar, the accused allegedly placed a wire around her neck, causing her to lose consciousness, before sexually assaulting her and fleeing with her mobile phone.

Police said the accused was arrested within hours of the complaint. The investigation into the rape and the circumstances surrounding the subsequent confrontation with police are continuing.

IANS