A CCTV footage of a mob running amok and attacking with stones policemen who prevented them from allegedly harassing a woman on New Year eve in Mukherjee Nagar area in Delhi has emerged, in a rerun of a similar incident in Bengaluru.
Almost 1200-1500 students have been questioned till now in connection with the incident, police said. The incident happened near Batra Cinemas after two men–in yellow and blue jackets, respectively– tried to pull a woman riding pillion of a motorbike being driven by another man, police said. The policemen present on the other side of the divider there cautioned the two men, who appeared drunk, against indulging in hooliganism, police said.
The CCTV footage shows the incident occurred between 11-11.15 pm on December 31. “The two men fled after the police intervention. Police tried to explain to a few youths standing there that they should celebrate New Year but not at other’s peril. They should not misbehave with women who are passing through the area,” said a policeman who was present on the spot.
Mob started pelting stones at us in groups. We took shelter in the police booth: Policeman Anil Kaushik on Mukherjee Nagar molestation case pic.twitter.com/FdcnmiqPmz
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 5, 2017
After the two men fled, a large group of students came and they allegedly started pelting the policemen with stones, police said, adding they had to take shelter in a police booth.
Mukherjee Nagar is a hub for students who prepare for competitive examinations– like UPSC, banking and others– and it is suspected the two accused and the mob were students staying in the area. The policemen apprised the seniors of the matter and extra force was sent in to control the situation, the policeman said.
He said the mob also vandalised police vehicles. A case under relevant sections of the IPC for destroying public property, rioting, attacking a government servant and assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty has been registered against unknown persons.
Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC was added on the basis of the statement given by constable Anil Kaushik, who was also an eyewitness and was injured during stone-pelting.
TV channels played the CCTV footage of the accused running amok and indulging in stone pelting on policemen. “Almost 1200-1500 students have been questioned till now to identify the students who were responsible for creating ruckus that day. The SHO of Mukherjee Nagar has also formed a WhatsApp group with the owners of coaching centres to ascertain the identity of the hooligans,” a source privy to the probe said.
