Saharanpur: Accused of attempt to molest, man assaulted

The panchayat allegedly asked the two families to speak to each other and sort out the matter, said police. Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav

A YOUTH, who allegedly tried to molest a woman, was beaten up, tonsured, his face blackened and made to wear a garland of shoes at Biharigarh area in Saharanpur district. Five persons were arrested in connection to the incident on Thursday. On March 1, Mohammad Sajid (25) had allegedly tried to molest a 40-year-old woman while she was returning from the fields. “After the woman informed her family, the village panchayat intervened and the matter was settled on March 5,” said Biharigarh police station officer Jitendra Kumar.

The panchayat allegedly asked the two families to speak to each other and sort out the matter, said police. “However, the same evening, the woman’s husband, his two younger brothers and nephew brought Sajid to their home. There, the husband, his relatives and three associates allegedly beat up Sajid, shaved his head, blackened his face and put a garland of shoes around his neck,” the SO said.

Saharanpur SP (Rural) Vidyasagar Mishra said Sajid and his relatives lodged a complaint at Biharigarh police station on Thursday only after a video, showing the youth being thrashed and tonsured, went viral on Wednesday. Based on the complaint lodged by Sajid’s uncle Mohammad Salim, the husband, his relatives and three associates were booked under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.

The five arrested on Thursday are the woman’s husband, his nephew and the three associates. The two brothers are absconding, Mishra added.