One surrenders, police arrest one more

A day after the Mumbai Police registered a case regarding the shocking incident of molestation of two young women by a mob...

A day after the Mumbai Police registered a case regarding the shocking incident of molestation of two young women by a mob on New Year’s Day at Juhu, the police arrested two persons on Thursday. At least 13 persons have been detained, sources said.

The first to be arrested was Ravi Shukla (27), who, sources said, surrendered to the Juhu police. The second person arrested has been identified only as Nilesh.

A woman volunteered information to the police regarding the whereabouts and identity of one of them, and the police kept a watch on his known haunts in the western suburbs of the city.

“We have enlarged four or five of the photographs taken by the two photographers. The faces of five of the culprits are clearly visible on them, and we are on the lookout for these men. Of them, one has been identified by a woman whose identity has been kept anonymous on her request,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K L Prasad. “She has told the police that she knows the man wearing a white shirt, whose face is prominent in one of the photographs.”

Police teams are also visiting tea stalls and shops across the city to get leads on the identities of the other suspects.

Meanwhile, the police invited citizens to call the Mumbai Police Control Room with any information on the suspects, whose faces have been circled in photographs released by them. “We will give a cash reward to anyone who comes forward with information on the addresses of any of the suspects. The exact amount of the reward has not been decided yet, but it will be a five-figure amount,” said Prasad.

According to the police, the two couples who were victims of the incident have refused to return to Mumbai from Gujarat. “They are to leave for the US shortly on January 10, and we are requesting them to return to Mumbai to help us and tell us exactly what took place that night. However, they have refused again. If we catch the culprits before they leave, we will request them again to identify anyone arrested. For the time being, we have the statements of the two photographers present when the actual molestation took place. They are primary witnesses. If the two victims come forward later, they will be made witnesses in the case,” said Prasad.

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The police will also record the statement of Assistant Commissioner of Police Amarjeet Singh, who dispersed the crowd. “However, he did not witness the actual molestation,” the joint commissioner added.