Thane: Man molests airhostess for feeding stray dogs in housing society

An airhostess working with a private airline was assaulted and molested by a man, when she tried to feed stray dogs in her housing society in Bhayander.

A woman was allegedly assaulted and molested by a man for feeding stray dogs in her housing society in Thane district’s Bhayander area, police said on Wednesday

On August 12, Karan Mishra, came rushing out of a flat with an iron rod, abused the woman and was about to attack the puppies.(Raja Mayal)

Though the incident occurred in August, a complaint was registered on Tuesday at the Navghar police station after Thane superintendent of police Mahesh Patil intervened.

The woman, an air hostess with a private airline, said she regularly fed stray dogs in her housing society and was giving food to three puppies whose mother mysteriously died a few weeks ago.

“On August 12, as per routine at around 10.30pm, I was feeding the dogs when a society member, Karan Mishra who resides in Building 4 of the same complex, came rushing out of his flat armed with an iron rod. He was hurling abuses at me and was about to attack the puppies when I held his hand to prevent him from hitting the dogs,” she said.

“After this, he abused me and caught my hand saying the final day has come to decide the fate of the dogs. However, I managed to save the dogs from a certain death,” she added.

She immediately called animal rights activist Salim Charania, who runs the Peace for Animals Welfare Association (PAWA), and sought his help. He advised her to file a complaint with the police control room by calling 103 and also go to the Navghar police station.

“I was told by the duty officer that an FIR can be registered only by the senior PI of the station and told me to draft the complaint which I duly did but no FIR was filed,” she said.

She met superintendent of police Patil on Tuesday and narrated the incident. He immediately ordered the Navghar police to register a complaint.

“We have registered cases under section 354 (1)(4) (molestation), 509 (word, gesture to outrage the modesty of a woman) and 504 (intentional insult) of the Indian penal code,” police inspector Shrikant Padule of Navghar police station said.