Bengaluru, Feb 23: A 19-year-old college student has alleged that she was drugged and gang-raped by two men at a private villa in a posh locality of Bengaluru after being invited to a party by a man she had befriended on Instagram, police said.

The survivor, a first-year BA student originally from Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, had been living in Bengaluru for the past five months for her studies.

Accused Met Through Instagram, FIR States
According to the FIR, the woman became acquainted with one of the accused, Dixon Sando (21), through Instagram in January this year. The two remained in contact and had met in person on a few occasions before the alleged incident.

Police said that on the night of February 14, after attending college and later meeting a friend for dinner in Banashankari, she received a call from Dixon inviting her to a gathering at a private property identified as Rex Villa in north Bengaluru. She reached the venue with a friend in the early hours of February 15.

At the party, Dixon allegedly introduced her to the second accused, Nikhil (35). In her complaint, the woman alleged that the two men forced her to consume a pink-coloured tablet, after which she began feeling dizzy and disoriented before losing consciousness.

She told police that she later regained partial awareness and realised she was being sexually assaulted inside a room at the villa. She further alleged that she found herself confined in the room and was threatened with death if she disclosed the incident or approached the authorities.

Investigators said the accused later dropped her off near a mall in the city.

Also Read: IRS Officer Accused Of Rape, Circulating Obscene Videos; Case Registered In Bhubaneswar

Counter-Complaint Filed Before Survivor Approached Police
Police confirmed that one of the accused had lodged a complaint on February 21, alleging an attempt at extortion. In his complaint, he claimed that the woman, along with a person identifying himself as Imran from a regional news channel, demanded money and threatened to broadcast defamatory content if payment was not made.

According to police sources, this complaint was filed a day before the survivor approached authorities with allegations of sexual assault. Officers said both the rape complaint and the counter-allegation are being examined to establish the sequence of events.

Delay in Complaint Attributed to Threats
The woman told investigators that she did not immediately file a complaint due to fear arising from the alleged threats. She sought medical treatment at a Bengaluru hospital on February 17 as the trauma persisted and later informed her brother, who advised her to approach the police.

Based on her statement, an FIR was registered at Amruthahalli Police Station against Dixon Sando and Nikhil under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to sexual assault and criminal intimidation.