Political activist molested in auto-rickshaw in Thane, search on for 3 accused

Thane: A 29-year-old woman activist of a political party was allegedly molested and beaten by three men while she was travelling in an auto- rickshaw here in Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday.

Her woman colleague and the auto-rickshaw driver were also beaten up by the accused when they tried to save her, Thane Police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.

The victim was returning home from work along with the colleague in Kalyan town in the wee hours on Monday when the three men intercepted the vehicle and tried to board it. When the woman told them that it was not a shared auto-rickshaw, they stood in front of the vehicle and obstructed its movement, Narkar said.

The men then allegedly molested the woman, pulled her out of the three-wheeler and slapped her, she said.

They also beat up her colleague and the auto-rickshaw driver when they tried to rescue her, Narkar said.

The victim, who is an activist of a political party, filed a complaint at the Kolsewadi police station in Kalyan on Monday evening.

Narkar said the three men have been identified and a search is on to nab them. Offences have been registered against the accused under IPC sections 354 (molestation), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant provisions, she added.