Tumkauru, DHNS: A mentally challenged woman was raped in a moving vehicle by an assistant sub-inspector of police (ASI) in Tumkauru city on Saturday night.

Based on a complaint by the 31-year-old victim’s mother, the police on Sunday arrested ASI Umesh attached to the Tumakuru Rural police station. Tumakaru SP?Isha Pant summoned Umesh for questioning. Later, he was suspended.

While it is said that Umesh raped the woman in a police jeep, Isha said the incident took place in a private vehicle, refusing to answer journalists’ queries as to who was driving the vehicle.

The SP?said it was a ‘serious case’, and a probe would reveal the truth.

On Saturday, Umesh was on night rounds when he spotted the woman near a bridge at Antharasanahalli bypass. He asked her why she was standing there and offered to drop her home. After she got into the jeep, he tried to rape her. When the victim pleaded with him to spare her and started shouting, Umesh gagged her and raped her twice, the victim’s brother told journalists here on Sunday.

After raping her, Umesh took her younger brother’s mobile number and asked him to pick her up.

The ASI called twice, asking him to pick up his sister, who was “found wandering”.

But the brother said he was unwell and could not come. To this, Umesh said he would drop her off at home, the brother said.

Umesh dropped the victim near her house in a police jeep and her mother took her home. As the victim was abusing the officer, her mother asked her what had happened. After the victim narrated the incident, her mother lodged a complaint at the Tumakuru women’s police station on Sunday afternoon.

The police registered a case, and sent the victim for medical examination.

The victim’s brother said his sister used to often go out of the house and return on her own, and that the family had not taken it seriously.