Pune, Oct 26 — A 30-year-old man has been taken into custody for allegedly molesting an 18-year-old woman and attempting to lift her, in Pune's Katraj area, police said on Monday. The accused was allegedly beaten up by local residents after the woman raised an alarm, drawing people to the spot.
The accused has been identified as Jitu Kishorilal Saroj, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district. He currently lives in a rented house in the Vidyanagar area along Katraj-Kondhwa Road in Pune, police said.
According to the police, the incident took place on October 24 at around 6.30 p.m. in front of Samarth Dairy, near Sukhsagarnagar. The woman had gone to visit her friend, Mansi Gaikwad, and was waiting for her when the accused allegedly approached her.
The man allegedly touched the woman's chest and pulled her shirt before picking her up her. The woman raised an alarm, following which her friend who had arrived at the spot by that time, attempted to rescue her by pushing the accused away.
Mansi's aunt, Sheetal Gaikwad, and Vishnu More also reached the spot to help the woman. During the incident, the accused allegedly threw More's mobile phone onto the ground, damaging it.
The ongoing struggle and the woman's cries alerted people in the surrounding area, who gathered at the spot. The locals allegedly caught hold of the accused and thrashed him before the police arrived and took him into custody.
Senior Police Inspector Sudarshan Gaikwad of Bharati Vidyapeeth police station confirmed the incident to IANS and said the accused lived in the same locality.
According to Gaikwad, the accused initially touched the woman, prompting her to move away. He then allegedly approached her from behind and tried to pick her up, causing her to fall to the ground. The woman's cries for help drew the attention of local residents, who caught and assaulted the accused, the officer said.
Gaikwad said a case had been registered against the accused at Bharati Vidyapeeth police station. He added that the accused would be produced before a court on Monday.
The police also received information from the accused man's brother that he had allegedly behaved similarly towards women when he was living in Uttar Pradesh. This information is part of the details shared by the police, and further verification would be required to establish the allegations.
A case has been registered under Sections 76 and 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with assault or criminal force against a woman with the intent to disrobe her and mischief causing damage, respectively.
The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and the allegations against the accused.