Two held for harassing over phone

SURAT, July 25: Two persons, harassing a woman over the phone, were arrested by the Mahidharpura police, who laid a trap for them in the ...

SURAT, July 25: Two persons, harassing a woman over the phone, were arrested by the Mahidharpura police, who laid a trap for them in the woman’s house, on Sunday morning. Another accused, however, managed to escape, the police said.

While those arrested have been identified as Mahesh Nagin Rana, a resident of Rana Sheri, Begumpura, and Navin Jamnadas Rana of Limdi Sheri in Navapura area the third who managed to escape has been identified as Navnit Nagindas Rana of Limdi Sheri, Navapura.

According to the police, Pratima Patel, a resident of house no 6/567 Moti Sheri, Galemandi off Bhagal, ran a beauty parlour in her house and rented the upper floor of her house to working women.

Story continues below this ad

On Friday afternoon, Mahesh and Navnit reached her house on the pretext that they wanted to rent a room. And after that the three friends constantly phoned her house, making obscene proposals to the woman, who told her husband and who in turn reported the matter to the police.

The police laid a trap at Patel’s house, wherein the three were invited to the house at 10 am on Sunday morning. As soon as the accused entered the room, Mahidharpura PI S M Gohil, PSI L D Sosa, ASI Bhikhu Mangal and constables, along with a few residents, who were hiding in the house, arrested the two accused. The third accused, who had not entered the house, managed to escape.

Suicide: In another incident, a married woman and her paramour tried to commit suicide at around midnight on Saturday when neighbours caught them together in her house. Both doused themselves with kerosene and set themselves on fire. While the woman is being treated at the New Civil Hospital with serious burn injuries, the man died in the hospital, the Limbayat police said.

A case registered in the police station said that Surekha Sanjay Patil (20), a resident of house no 24, Jalaramnagar, Dindoli Road and one Vakil (25), who resided nearby were found together in her house by neighbours, who bolted the door from outside.

Story continues below this ad

Sensing that they had been caught, both set themselves on fire and were seriously burnt before neighbours broke open the door and shifted them to the hospital. The woman’s husband was not at home when the incident occurred.

Surekha is presently being treated at the New Civil Hospital with 80 per cent burns and has a thin chance of survival, the police said, adding that Vakil died at 3 am on Sunday morning while being treated.