Maharashtra, India: Maharashtra Police has apprehended three men, in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, for harassing a hijab-wearing Muslim college girl. The incident took place on April 24 in the Makai Gate area and a video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The three men snatched the Muslim girl’s phone and she can be seen asking them to return her phone in the viral video.
It was reported that the harassment started as the three men suspected that she was hanging out with a Hindu man. The girl was visiting the city’s famous Bibi Ka Maqbara at the time of the incident.
The three men questioned the girl, “Why are you walking with some other boy?” after stopping the pair. Thereafter, the three men started harassing the girl. Furthermore, one of the three men grabbed the girl’s hand and the girl tried to escape them, screaming and begging them to release her hand.
It is pertinent to note that while she was being harassed no one stepped forward to help the girl despite that there was a crowd around them. However, someone in the crowd recorded a video of the incident which later went viral on social media.
Video from Sambhaji Nagar (earlier Aurangabad) where a burqa-clad girl was molested by her co-religionists for hanging out with a “gair-Muslim” pic.twitter.com/e08mB330Sf
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) April 27, 2023
Begumpura Police arrived at the scene after being notified. The police recognised the girl from the video and asked her to file a complaint, though she declined. However, the police started a procedure to file a suo motu case against the three men.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Deepak Girhe said, “The three accused, in this case, have been detained by the police on charges of criminal intimidation, stalking, causing bodily harm, and insulting a woman.”
“This incident is of Monday, 24 April. The victim hails from a town in Ahmednagar and is staying in Sambhaji Nagar to prepare for a competition. Police team reached the spot soon after the girl was molested, she was rescued by a family and taken to their home. Then the police team brought her to the station,” the Begumpura Police Inspector Shivaji Taware informed the media. Furthermore, he added, “After taking some information, she was dropped off at her house after some time.”
