IN AN incident reminiscent of the infamous Jessica Lal murder case, a girl, partying with her friends at a night club in Bangalore, was attacked by a reveller with a beer bottle. The assault left Gina needing 19 stitches on her head and has affected her hearing.
Gina was apparently trying to save her friend from the assailant, Nithin Reddy, who wanted to dance with her. Following repeated rebuffs, Nithin decided to take out his anger on the victim and smashed a beer bottle on her head.
Shockingly, the night club management reportedly did not come to the rescue of the victim even as she lay on the ground in a pool of blood. Her friends took her to a private hospital where she was treated for head injuries.
The police have registered a case against Nithin. A source said he has already been arrested but is yet to be produced in court.
On Wednesday evening, Gina and some of her college friends were partying at F- Bar, a popular nightspot in Bangalore, when the incident took place.
“ This guy was troubling my friend on the dance floor. He was insisting that she dance with him. He was a total stranger to us. I intervened and asked him to stay away from her. Half- anhour later he walked up to me and smashed a beer bottle on my head. I went blank,” Gina, who studies at a city college, said.
Gina’s friends alleged that the club management did not come to their rescue.
“ The club management was interested in protecting the assailant because he was a regular patron. My friends rushed me to the hospital. The doctors told me that one of the nerves has been damaged. I cannot hear properly,” Gina complained.
The club management maintained they had offered to help the victim and her friends.
“ We provided them with first aid and even offered to take them to the hospital. But they refused our offer,” a spokesperson for the club said.
With most of the girls, including the victim, being from other states, they fear that they could be targeted by the assailant.
One of the victim’s friends alleged that one of the witnesses had claimed to being followed by an unknown person.
“ I believe the assailant belongs to a powerful family and he is trying to silence the witnesses. We feel very insecure as we come from other states,” Gina’s friend said.
Mika, another friend of the victim, said the incident had left them shaken.
“ This was the first time we had visited the night club. We never expected that this would happen… We feel very insecure,” Mika said.
The Cubbon Park police, who are investigating the case, said they are interrogating all those involved in the incident.
“ If the accused is proved guilty, then action will be taken. He has also claimed to have been assaulted by the girls and we are investigating that angle as well,” the police said.
BLOODSHED BLOT ON PUB CULTURE
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