Bengaluru: The police on Saturday arrested three persons for allegedly chasing and harassing a young woman rider for several kilometres in Bengaluru.
The accused have been identified as Shaiek Roshan (19), a resident of Begur, and Shaiek Ayan (19), a resident of Old Gurappanpalya in BTM Layout. Both are employed at a chicken shop. The third accused, Shaiek Rihan Khan (18), a resident of BTM Layout, works at a garage.
The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media, triggering serious concerns over women’s safety in the city. A whistleblower, identified as Abhinav Vasudevan, shared the video on social media platform X and tagged the Bengaluru Police, seeking immediate action.
After posting the nine-second video, Abhinav said, “I saw a girl being harassed by a group of men for several kilometres on a main road, and this was before 10 pm. I recorded the video as evidence and intervened, after which they immediately fled.”
Acting swiftly on the complaint, the jurisdictional Sadduguntepalya police arrested the accused and seized the two-wheeler used in the incident.
Providing details, the Sadduguntepalya police said, “An FIR has been registered, the accused have been arrested, and they have been remanded to judicial custody. Suitable legal action has been initiated.”
The video shows the three accused riding a motorcycle without helmets, chasing the woman who was riding a scooter and allegedly passing lewd comments.
According to police, the incident occurred in the BTM Layout area around midnight on December 25. The woman was riding her scooter while wearing a helmet when the three youths on another two-wheeler followed her for nearly two kilometres.
Police said the accused rode recklessly, deliberately swerved in front of the woman’s scooter in an attempt to block her path, and continued to chase her.
Meanwhile, Abhinav Vasudevan, who was travelling in a car behind the woman, noticed the harassment, recorded the incident and later shared the video on X, tagging the police.
Further investigation is underway.
(IANS)
