Teenage girl molested, almost stripped in public view, 3 held

In a shocking incident, a group of young men allegedly molested an 18-year-old girl in a broad daylight in the suburban Kandivali in Mumbai, police said.

Shockingly, the hapless teenager, who was trying to save herself from the bunch of rowdies who almost stripped her, entered a restaurant for help but people there drove her out before she was finally rescued by a police constable on patrol and some passersby, police said.

The incident occurred at around 4.30 pm on Monday near Hindustan Naka, they said.

Three persons identified as Fayyaz Ahmed Khan, Saroj Khan and Naushad Khan were arrested on Tuesday and booked under section 354 (molestation) of Indian Penal Code.

The victim and her female friend reached Hindustan Naka in an autorickshaw from Bandra. However, while alighting they realised they did not have enough cash to pay the fare.

The victim's friend, whose relative stays nearby, went to their house to borrow some cash while the victim waited in the rickshaw, said police.

However, when her friend did not return for quite some time, she wanted to go out and check on her, but the rickshaw driver insisted on paying the fare right then, they said.

The girl handed over her mobile phone as security, but the driver started arguing with her loudly. That is when some young men who were playing cricket nearby went to the spot and started teasing the girl, police said.

When the girl tried to move away from them, the men chased her, caught her and tried to strip her, said police.

After she was driven out of the roadside restaurant where she sought help, the girl tried to enter another autorickshaw, but was dragged out by the accused, police said.

Her ordeal ended, when some motorists stopped and rescued her by driving off the men. A beat marshal constable also reached the spot and took one of the youths into custody, they said.

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