Maharashtra: Nine men assault couple, molest girl for chatting

Nine people ganged up against a couple, thrashed the man and molested and dragged the girl by her hair, in Ardhapur, Nanded, all because they were talking to each other.

Nine people ganged up against a couple, thrashed the man and molested and dragged the girl by her hair, in Ardhapur, Nanded, all because they were talking to each other.

They even shot a video of the assault to threaten the couple. The video has now gone viral on social media.

The incident took place on June 12 in Ardhapur, around 570km from Mumbai, when the couple — a 20-year-old man and 17-year-old girl —were talking in a field 3km from their village.

After the man registered a case with the Ardhapur police station on June 15, five of the accused were arrested and remanded in police custody for three days on Tuesday.

The police said the arrested accused were drivers and labourers from the same area.

Officials said the accused accosted the couple and abused them for talking to each other.

“The two were just sitting and talking in the field when they were harassed. The accused made a video of the assault and tried to pressure them,” said Sandeep Doiphode, the additional superintendent of police (Nanded).

“The accused snatched the duo’s mobile phones. They caught the girl by her hair, abused and molested her,” said senior police inspector SP Gaikwad of Ardhapur police station.

Officials said they were looking for the other accused and had alerted all the police stations in the district and those in the adjoining districts as well.

The accused have been booked for dacoity, under sections of the Information Technology Act and POCSO Act.