As news of the incident spread, a huge crowd gathered around the Althan police station and demanded that the police hand over Shaikh to them. The police refused and asked the crowd to leave. (File Photo)
A MOB clashed with a police team who went to a scene of crime with an accused in a case of sexual harassment of a teenaged girl, a minor, in Surat on Saturday.
The angry crowd wanted the accused, identified as Aziz Shaikh, 39, whom the police rescued on Friday after an alleged assault by local residents before taking him to the station.
According to the police, the girl was returning from her tuition classes on a two-wheeler on Friday evening when the accused allegedly harassed her.
Passersby who witnessed the incident allegedly accosted Shaikh and beat him up. One person called the police control room; a police van then reached the spot and rescued Shaikh from the mob, bundling him inside. Meanwhile another group showed up, pulled him out of the van, beat him up again, and tore his clothes in presence of the girl’s parents, who reached the spot.
“Soon, personnel from the local police station reached there, rescued Shaikh again from the mob and brought him to the police station for further proceedings,” police sources said.
The victim’s mother registered a complaint against the accused and Shaikh was then placed under arrest under BNS 75(2) (Sexual harassment), 78(2) (Stalking) and different sections of POCSO Act.
As news of the incident spread, a large crowd gathered around the police station and demanded that the police hand over Shaikh to them. The police refused and asked the crowd to leave.
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Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Karanraj Vaghela, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dr Nidhi Thakur, Assistant Commissioner V R Malhotra, and other police officers reached the police station and tried to control the mob. Soon, the local BJP MLA also reached the spot after learning about the incident and requested the protesters to return home, saying the police would handle the matter. However, the angry public did not relent.
Even after a warning, when the public did not cooperate, the police resorted to lathicharge and dispersed the mob.
The police inspector at the station concerned said, “We have registered an offence against the accused, who works at a private firm in Surat. We are also working to register a complaint against the mob that gathered and gheraoed the police station, late on Friday night.”
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
