Watch: How the Rohtak bravehearts thrashed their eve-teasers
In a show of courage, two college-going sisters thrashed three eve teasers inside a bus, even as passengers chose to look the other way. Both sisters confronted the accused and mustered enough courage to thrash them, with one of the girls even hitting the youths with her belt, for allegedly outraging their modesty. The entire incident, recorded by a passenger on mobile phone, went viral both on television and social media. It showed the two girls using hand and belt to thrash the eve teasers, who appeared to be taken by surpise.
A case has been registered against three youths in this connection, police said today. The accused have been identified as Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak, they said, adding that a case under section 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage woman's modesty) and section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of IPC have been registered against them. The accused were arrested on Monday. The conductor and bus driver were suspended.
Haryana government announced that the sister would be felicitated and given cash awards during the Republic Day function. Read more
The victims in their complaint alleged that they were "teased" by some youths in a Haryana Roadways bus when they were going to their college on Friday. When the victims objected, one of the accused started beating them up. Not go give up easily, the girls fought with the accused as fellow passengers remained mute spectators. One of the victims even hit the accused with a belt, police said. One of the girls said, "They threatened us and abused us. One of them touched my sister inappropriately. They started making obscene gestures ... After heated exchanges, one of the boys called his friends asking him to beat us up. One of them beat my sister while two others caught hold of me. Then, I whipped out my belt at thrashed them. They pushed us out of the bus when it slowed down," she narrated.
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Meanwhile, the father of the two sisters alleged that there was pressure from the panchayat that the girls should withdraw the complaint. SP Rohtak Shanshank Anand told PTI over phone, "We have identified the accused and soon they will be arrested. These are the brave girls of the country and we fully support them."
The parents of the two girls lodged an FIR with Haryana police informing that the molesters got down at the Kansla village in Rohtak. Meanwhile, the SHO of Rohtak police station Gajendra Singh said a complaint had been registered against the accused and added that the public must take a stand in such cases. "We have registered complaint against three accused persons, investigation is going on, the culprits will be arrested. It is regrettable that nobody came to help the girls, it is our duty to take a stand in such cases," he said.
Reacting strongly to the incident, women rights activist Abha Singh said, "It's an offence under Section 354a. This is a non-bailable offence. The culprits must be arrested immediately. The people in bus did not come to the help of the girls. We need to amend the law that those who don't help the victims of molestation should also be punished.
Commenting on the incident, National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumarmangalam said, "I would like to congratulate the girls and ask the authorities to take appropriate action. Few girls have the guts to take on the molesters. The government should take action. I would appeal to every Indian to come forward and help."