Ahmedabad guard arrested after terrace assault on young design student
A 22-year-old interior design student in Ahmedabad was allegedly raped on the terrace of her housing society late Saturday night, in a case that has
A 22-year-old interior design student in Ahmedabad was allegedly raped on the terrace of her housing society late Saturday night, in a case that has put security at residential complexes under sharp scrutiny. Police said the guard on duty, identified as Dharm Singh, was arrested within hours.
What police say happened
The woman had gone to the terrace of a society in the Jodhpur area for a walk after dinner, according to police. Around 10 p.m., the guard allegedly approached her and tried to force himself on her.
When she resisted, he allegedly wrapped a wire around her neck, cutting off her breathing. The woman blacked out. Then came the assault.
Police said the attack lasted nearly an hour. The accused later fled, locking the terrace door from outside and taking her phone with him. She was left trapped on the roof.
She managed to raise an alarm after getting help from residents in the lower floors. They rescued her and alerted police. She was taken to hospital and is undergoing treatment.
Arrest after a search
Anandnagar police arrested the accused, Dharm Singh, from Hebatpur early on Sunday. He is originally from Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh.
Police said Singh had been deployed at the society only days earlier. One report said he joined six days ago; another said he had been on the job for four days. Either way, his stint was brief. Very brief.
Sector 1 Joint Commissioner of Police Neeraj Badgujar said CCTV footage shows Singh taking the lift to the terrace around the time of the incident. Investigators are now piecing together the sequence of events from the building’s security system and witness accounts.
Fear in a familiar place
The case has drawn attention because it unfolded in a residential building terrace, a space many tenants and paying guests use for routine evening walks. The victim was staying in a rented flat in the society with three other women.
For city dwellers everywhere, the setting will feel unnervingly ordinary. A walk after dinner. A locked gate. A guard posted for protection.
And then, suddenly, the threat was inside the building.
Police have not released further details, but the accused remains in custody as the investigation continues. The only clear number so far: one guard, deployed for just days, and one terrace attack that ended with an arrest before sunrise.
