5 bikers held for harassing female joggers

Police will request court to treat the two juveniles as adult co-accused

The Mumbai police have arrested five bike-borne youth, including two juveniles, for allegedly harassing women joggers near Girgaum Chowpatty on Thursday morning.

All the accused are residents of Chembur and were nabbed late night on Saturday.

The accused -- Prem Raosaheb Nikalje (21), Jagmohan Ramagya Prasad (21) and Vikas Rakesh Chaurasia (21) along with the two juveniles (both 17 years old) – were riding the two wheelers from Chembur to Marine Drive early morning on Thursday when they harassed three female joggers near Mafatlal Bath at Charni Road (west).

“The motorcycle-borne accused stopped their vehicles near the females and insisted on them sharing their cell phone numbers. However, they sped away after one of the survivors yelled at them. Later, the distressed women hailed a cab at Taraporewala Aquarium and left. All the five accused have been arrested. ‘‘We are recording the statement of the eye-witness, Ashit Shroff, who lives at Churchgate,” said an officer at Marine Drive police station.

None of the females registered a complaint. The Mumbai police registered suo motu case after an English daily published the news. Subsequently the police scrutinised the CCTV footage and zeroed in on the owners of the two motorcycles.

“The CCTV cameras installed at Malabar Hill had captured both the motorcycles. We got the registration number and with the help of the RTO. All are residents of Chembur. Both the juveniles are school drop outs and the adult accused are jobless. They had come to South Mumbai to have fun. We have seized both the bikes. All of them have confessed to their crime,” said another officer. They have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and Maharashtra Police Act.

On Sunday, they were produced before holiday court which has sent them to police custody till February 12.

The police will request the court to treat the juveniles as adult co-accused. The investigators are probing if they have any crime record.