Mangaluru May 7: In a recent incident of molestation of a girl which took place in the city; a youth who went to the rescue of this girl and who was later arrested for ‘misbehaving’ with the police; is now out on bail and has accused certain cops of brutality.
This molestation incident took place on Saturday night May 2nd.
A man identified as Sanjay Das (22) had allegedly molested a girl, and Harshil Shetty who went to her rescue, chased the accused. However, the police arrested Harshil for allegedly quarrelling with them. He was later released on bail.
Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday May 6th, Harshil Shetty narrated about the incident. He said, on the night of May 2nd, my friends and I had been to Liquid Lounge in Balmatta. When we came out after supper, a man (Sanjay Das) was molesting a medical student. When we heard her screams, we rushed to her rescue but by the time we realized what had happened, the culprit had ran away towards Light House Hill, he said.
We searched for him and noticed a police standing close-by and enquired whether he had seen any man running in that direction. He said he had not. When I reached Danish restaurant I saw this person (Sanjay) changing his shirt. I informed the restaurant owner about what he had done. However, Sanjay being an employee there, the owner supported him.
The police then came to the spot and started shouting at me. I explained the entire incident to them but the cop refused to listen and started hitting me. I told him to stop hitting me and arrest the culprit instead. But in a couple of minutes, the PCR came to the spot and I was taken away by the police to Bender police station. Even though I repeatedly told them that they had left the culprit, they arrested me and did not listen to my pleas, alleged Harshil.
When I resisted for beating me up for rescuing a girl from being molested, they further continued to beat me. Later, when my friends called me up at around 12pm in the night, I said that I am in Bunder police station. Following this the girl who was molested came along with my friends to the police station. The girl filed a complaint with the police, stating that Sanjay Das had molested her. Even though the girl had brought to the notice of the police that I (Harshil Shetty) had been to her rescue, the police took me along with my friends to the hotel in bavutagudde to identify the culprit. When my friend identified the culprit there, the police later filed case on the accused, said Harshil Shetty.
Harshil further narrated, later at 1.30pm, the police sent me home after warning me to visit the police station the next day. The next day on May 3rd when I went to Bunder police station, Circle inspector Cheluvaraju argued in such a manner that we were the faulters and filed a FIR against me. When my family urged for medical checkup, they refused to do so and detained me in the cell for a day, said Harshil Shetty.
“I only resisted when the police hit me, but I did not hit back any policeman. They (police) have registered a false case against me,” Harshil said.
Complaint to the police commissioner:
In connection to the case, when we had met the police commissioner to give our complaint on Tuesday, he has accepted our complaint. After conversing with the commissioner, we now hope that appropriate measures will be taken against the cops who have assaulted in this case, said Prakash Shetty fater of Harshil Shetty.
During the press meet Harshil’s aunt Vindya Ballal, chitaranjan Bhandaryand others were present .
