Amid New Year celebrations, many sexual harassment cases come to fore

City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, that though the police have not received any complaint regarding harassments, they will initiate action based on CCTV footage.
The accused was produced before a court on Friday. .(Express Illustrations)
The accused was produced before a court on Friday. .(Express Illustrations)

BENGALURU: Despite elaborate security arrangements made by the city police, a few incidents of molestation and sexual harassment were reported during New Year celebrations at Brigade Road on Tuesday night. The Ashoknagar police arrested two men on Wednesday in connection with one of the incidents. However, the police said that none of the women, who were allegedly harassed, have filed a police complaint but efforts will be made to trace miscreants by analysing CCTV footage.

A woman was allegedly touched inappropriately by a stranger at Church Street. The incident was video recorded by a passerby who shared it with the media. As per the video, the woman tried to hit the accused, but he managed to escape. In another incident, a woman was allegedly molested by a man at Opera Junction. The woman, who managed to catch him, was seen hitting him with her slipper. Public intervened and pacified the woman and the man was reportedly let off.

However, Ashok Nagar police registered a suo motu case and verified the CCTV footage and identified four accused and arrested two of them. They have been identified as Ateeq (20) a student hailing from Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, and Shivakumar (30) from Chikkamagaluru, who works as a security guard in the city. A gang of men allegedly tried to inappropriately touch three women, at Brigade Road, but the women reportedly managed to escape. In the same locality, another woman was allegedly molested by a youth but before the woman could spot him, he had absconded. A woman broke down after she was allegedly harassed by a gang of miscreants at Koramangala 5th Block. She also reportedly approached the police, who tried to identify the miscreants but in vain.

However in this case, the police said she was accompanied by her boyfriend and he reportedly told the cops that she was in an inebriated state and he was not sure whether any such incident took place. Besides this, an abandoned bag on Church Street caused panic among passersby. As the bag was lying on the footpath, the police asked the revellers to stay away and they checked the back to find an empty box inside. Speaking to reporters, City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, that though the police have not received any complaint regarding harassments, they will initiate action based on CCTV footage.

COPS HELP DRUNK WOMEN REACH HOME The police said the officials deployed on the roads on NYE, helped at least 24 women in inebriated states to reach their houses. “Police booked cabs for them and ensured that they reached their houses safe,” an official said

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