In a grim report underscoring the continuing crisis around ensuring the safety of women in the urban setting, the Bengaluru Police apprehended a man responsible for molesting and physically assaulting a girl during daylight hours in the limits of the Kothanur police station.
Bengaluru: A male known as Muniruddin Khan was arrested by Kothanur police for sexually harassing and physically assaulting a woman on a public road. He was reportedly working in the city when the offence was committed, and the perpetrator is a native of West Bengal.
The Incident: Predatory Assault
The incident, the police reported and the victim said, took place as the young woman was walking by her residence. The victim emerged from the inside door to retrieve a delivery box on the floor outside her house. Just as she was going home, Khan seemed a bit suspicious on the road.
Things escalated rapidly when the accused reportedly engaged in indecent exposure, taking off his clothes in public and making lewd gestures while calling out to the victim. The predator got more aggressive as she tried to ignore the harasser and move away.
Witnesses' accounts and the official complaint say Khan approached from behind the female person and hugged her violently in the middle and molested her on the street. The accused was also said to have struck at a woman, punching her across the face when he did not act, physically injuring her, after the victim's immense courage when she attempted to escape and refused his advances.
Police Action and Arrest
After the attack, the victim raised an alarm and screamed for help, causing Khan to flee the scene before neighbors could intervene. Resolute but shaken, the victim went straight to the Kothanur Police Station, and filed a formal complaint. The Bengaluru North Division police put the matter on the highest priority, and it formed a specialist team to track the crime.
The police succeeded in identifying Muniruddin Khan, with local intelligence and scanning of CCTV footage from the area. He was later seized and booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on sexual harassment, assault with intention to outrage modesty and voluntary hurt. He is now in judicial custody.
Growing Concerns for Urban Safety
This incident has again prompted a discussion on women's safety within the residential space in Bengaluru. The brazen attack took place in a space where many people move, local residents said, saying they were shocked at the number of pedestrians. Police have encouraged citizens to immediately report those "eve-teasing" or harassment incidents, they said, adding that "the swift reporting of an issue is critical to catch habitual perpetrators."
