Three on bike stalk, molest two women in Mumbai, arrested

MEN ON BIKE CHASED A RICKSHAW, FORCED THE DRIVER TO STOP AND TRIED TO DRAG DOWN ONE OF THE WOMEN FROM THE VEHICLE

MUMBAI: Police arrested three men in Mumbai’s Versova early on Saturday after they allegedly stalked two women, passed lewd comments, molested them and threatened the driver of the autorickshaw they were seated in. Police said the accused also assaulted the brother of one of the women when he tried to defend them.

They also assaulted an onlooker who had intervened.

The accused, Rahul Revale, 25; Adil Khan, 21; and Yogesh Shevale, 24, all live in a slum pocket in Andheri (West) on the Juhu-versova Link Road, said police.

One of the women, who is 19 years old, had gone to a hotel in Juhu f or dinner with her 21-year-old brother. They met the second woman and the three decided to return home together.

Around 2.10am, their rickshaw reached Geeta Nagar on the Juhu-versova Link Road. The three men began chasing them on a motorbike.

According to the complaint filed with the police, all three men were drunk. One of them passed lewd remarks repeatedly and asked the driver to halt the rickshaw. When the driver ignored, the accused overtook the vehicle, blocking its path, forcing the driver to apply the brakes. The accused then tried to pull down one of the women.

The brother got out and began hitting the men, who were unfazed and continued targeting the women. When a passerby tried to intervene, the men assaulted him. The police control room was alerted and officers reached the spot and took the men into custody.

A case was filed under section 354 (sexual harassment), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (act done by several persons with common intention) of the IPC.

“A magistrate court remanded the men in police custody for a day. We have subjected them to medical test. We are also trying to ascertain if they have a past criminal record,” said a Versova police officer.