Two arrested for repeated harassment of Noida businessman, his family

Police have lodged an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

Two men were arrested for allegedly repeatedly harassing a businessman and assaulting him and his minor children last week, police said on Monday.

Police said the motive behind the harassment was unclear. (HT PHOTO)

According to Shubham Goyal, 35, a footwear shop owner in Greater Noida’s Dadri,the two arrested men last Friday set a stray dog on him and his two children, aged 7 and 3, while on their way home on a two-wheeler. One of the two suspects also slapped his seven-year-old daughter, Goyal alleged.

Police identified the two men as Aditya, 23, and Rohit, 22 and said the motive behind the harassment is unclear.

“The two suspects were arrested on Sunday from Dadri and sent to judicial custody,” said Dinesh Kumar Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

Police have lodged an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 427 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code

In his complaint to the police, Goyal said: “Around 8:30pm, I was on the scooty heading home with my two children. As we were entering the lane of our house, two men, identified as Rohit and Aditya, were holding a street dog which they threw on us. When I objected, they misbehaved with me and my kids, thrashing and abusing us. Aditya even slapped by daughter.”

Goyal said he immediately took his children home.He alleged that a few accomplices of the two men broke windows of his car. “They kept yelling my name and kept threatening me from downstairs,” he said.

On January 12 too, the two men allegedly harassed Goyal and his brother. “The men were drunk and they snatched my brother’s motorcycle keys. When we objected, they vandalised my car. The next day, they met us and apologised and asked us not to report the matter to the police. We have no previous history or enmity with them,” Goyal said.

However, after the January 27 incident, Goyal and his family were forced to leave their Dadri house and move to his father’s home around two kilometres away.

“We are under immense trauma and have not sent our children to school out of fear,” he said.

“We have visited the family and assured them of safety and security. We have requested higher authorities to set up a police booth in the colony which has over 500 flats. Police patrolling will also be increased there,” the additional DCP said