Bengaluru, January 4 (The New Indian Express): Three days after women were allegedly molested during New Year celebrations on M G Road and Brigade Road junction, the city police registered a First Information Report in this case on Tuesday.
Speaking to Express, City Police Commissioner Praveen Sood said,
“We have found credible evidence in a case of wrongful confinement, molestation and attempt to rob. We have registered an FIR. Investigation is in progress. We have taken up a suo motu case,” Sood tweeted.
“We had been quietly working on this over the past three days. At this point of time, I can’t reveal any information,” he added.
Praveen Sood tweeted about the filing of the FIR on Tuesday around 11 pm.
“We have taken action by registering a FIR. Investigation is in progress. Police is working…. though silently,” he said.
The commissioner had earlier tweeted, “Inquiry conducted by a Dy Commissioner of Police rank officer has gone through feed from 45 cameras at MG road. Unedited video available with police.”
Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Malini Krishnamurthy said: “I have asked the DCP to get more footage to go ahead with our investigations. The police have also asked people who ‘witnessed’ the incidents to provide information, footage or photographs.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Command Centre) Nagendra Kumar, who also heads the Social Media Wing, said: “We have not received any complaint on Facebook, Twitter or over police helpline over this issue. We are appealing to people to pass on information in this regard to make the case stronger.”
A police source said, “After the incident came to light, a team headed by a DCP rank official investigated the matter. The police obtained CCTV video footage from cameras installed by police and those installed by shops or commercial outlets.”
Contradictory Evidence
However, some Bengalureans who participated in the New Year revelry claimed that nothing unusual had happened on MG Road and Brigade Road junction on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday.
“I and seven friends had gone to Brigade Road for the celebration. Neither I nor the three other girls in our group faced any problem. We didn’t see any such incident,” says Ekta Gurung from Shanthi Nagar.
Daney Abraham, an engineer from RT Nagar, and his friends, including girls, did not face any trouble. “We didn’t have any problems nor did we witness any such thing,” said Abraham.
Zain Sharif, a student of Christ University, said, “I spent New Year’s eve around MG Road and I didn’t find anything unusual.There was a big crowd and all of us were in a party mood.”
A police officer who went through the CCTV footage said, “All we have seen in the CCTV footage is women being taken either by their friends or relatives or escorted by police in presence of their relatives. Other women are seen celebrating without any problem.”
(The featured picture at the top shows Bengaluru youth agitated by the mass molestation of women by miscreants on New Year’s eve)