Will create fear in minds of molesters: SSP

Molesters, beware! Policemen are at work to make you pay for the crime. And, no less importantly, girls are coming forward not only to seek policemen’s help but also to thank them for the help. With a group of Patna girls presenting roses to MANU MAHARAAJ as a token of thanks for arresting three youths who tormented two sisters at Boring Road crossing last fortnight, TOI’s ANUJA SHANKER caught up with the Patna SSP to know details of the case.Excerpts:
Q. How difficult was the molestation case for police?
A. It was, undoubtedly, a complicated case due to lack of details. The two tormented sisters remembered only the last four digits of the white-coloured R1-5’s registration number. We tracked several bikes with numbers like this before we could finally track the BR0CA-2418 used in the crime. Worse, it had been sold four times to different people and was still registered in the name of the original buyer.
Muzaffarpur’s Gaurav Kumar bought the bike from one Ram Vilas Mahto in 2014 and sold it to Atul Raj in 2016. Its current owner, Prashant Kumar, purchased the mobike from Atul on January 12 this year. We questioned 30-odd people in different parts of Bihar in two days before we could reach Prashant, who happens to be a friend of the molesters. The incident took place on January 19. Two days later, we knew who the culprits were.
Q. Your team deserves a pat, doesn’t it?
A. The credit rather goes to the younger sister, a 16-year-old who mustered the courage to report the crime. She had even tried to catch hold of Ashish, the pillion rider who dragged her by hair when she resisted. I have recommended the fearless girl’s name for a bravery award. Our team, which cracked the case in no time, will also be rewarded.
Q. Who are these boys?
A. Prashant owns the bike which was being used by his two friends at the time of the crime. The three youths hail from well-to-do families and are first-time offenders, but there is a possibility that they have been harassing girls for long. The main accused, Ashish, who molested the two sisters, was so criminal-minded that he dumped the bike’s registration number plate and his clothes into a garbage bin at Maurya Lok Complex. He took shelter at his aunt’s house in Khusrupur locality and told Prashant about the incident only after police launched a manhunt for them.
Q. Have police recovered the number plate and clothes?
A. No. The dustbin was cleaned by the time Ashish was arrested and questioned. However, we have sufficient evidence against the accused, who have been booked under different IPC Sections and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The victim’s statement has been recorded, the bike registration number matched and the CCTV footage checked. A charge sheet will be filed in a week or two and the case settled through speedy trial.
Q. A group of college students gifted you a bunch of roses on Monday…
A. Oh! That was unexpected. They lauded us for cracking the molestation case and requested us to strengthen our drive against road Romeos.
Q. How do you plan to strengthen the drive against eve-teasing?
A. I will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of women. The anti-eve-teasing cell that has been lying defunct will soon be activated. We are also thinking of launching the ‘Suraksha App’, being used in different states for the purpose. Those in distress press the App button and police are able to locate them in seconds. For now, needy girls can call up on 100 or send a WhatsApp message on 9939919191.
We may not be able to stop crimes against women completely, lekin molesters ke dimag mein itna darr to zaroor paida kar denge ki woh aisi galti dubara nahin karenge.
Q. Your message to girls…
A. Report when you are harassed. You don’t necessarily have to disclose your identity. A phone call or a message can also be recorded as an FIR and action taken immediately.
Jab yeh dono behnein FIR karne thana gayeen to wahan ke SI R D Burman ne kaha ki report karke koi fayda nahin. The case will never be cracked. As soon as I came to know about it, I suspended the SI. Humne iss case mein mehnat ki aur aage bhi aise saare cases ko seriously lenge.