Eve-teasers still at large

HOWRAH: Four of the six youths, who assaulted two teenaged girls and their aunt on Dharamtala Road in Malipanchghara on Tuesday evening, are still at large. The victims are too scared to step out of their home and hence, did not attend their classes on Wednesday evening. The girls even didn’t go to attend their classes on Wednesday evening.

Cops, meanwhile, visited the girls’ house and assured them of safety.

The incident occurred at 3pm on Tuesday when Purnima Shaw, 16, her sister Pranati, 15, and aunt Malati Devi (names changed), went to the Nayamandir area to watch the processions taken out on the occasion of Ma Sitala’s Snan Yatra. According to Priya, they were standing near a petrol pump when some youths turned up. She claimed that the group had been harassing her for quite some time. They had stopped for a while after her parents complained to locals but seemed to have selected the chaos around the procession the prevalent chaos around the procession to resume their activities.

“We have been living in the rented house for three years. Ever since we arrived, the group bothered us. Matters improved for a while after we lodged a complaint with locals. On Tuesday evening, we were watching the procession when the youths arrived on motorcycles. All of them seemed to have been drunk. When they started bothering me, my aunt asked us to return home. By then, the youths were tugging at my dupatta and I complained to the volunteers present. The volunteers came to our help and there was an altercation between them and the eve-teasers. Finally, the volunteers drove off the group. Before leaving, they warned us of dire consequences,” Priya said.

Around 7.30pm, the three were returning home when they were accosted by the mob. Priya said there were nearly 20 youths blocking their way. “They used abusive language but we tried to go past them. This is when one of them approached with a sharp weapon. My aunt came in the way and was injured in the right hand. The crooks then rained blows upon us. My sister was beaten with a lathi. When we raised an alarm, locals came out and the gang dispersed,” the teenager said.

The trio rushed to the Malipanchghara police station and lodged a complaint against the six youths they could identify in the darkness

. The police sent them to the T L Jaiswal Hospital for a medical examination and then raided the neighbourhood. By late in the night, Neeraj Prasad and Surjit Yadav were arrested. Dilip Rai, Bhim Rai, Mukesh and Sunny are still absconding. The police have assured us that all of them will be arrested,” Priya said.

According to Sukesh Jain, DC (HQ), Howrah city police, attempts are on to nab the four. The family will be provided necessary protection, he said.

Be Sociable, Share!

•