Meerut: A 38-year-old man, identified as Mohd Mehtab, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl and forcing her to remove her hijab while making a video. The incident occurred on December 11 in Deoband, Saharanpur district, when the girl and her 16-year-old sister were on their way home. The accused reportedly claimed the girl was speaking to a "Hindu man," and along with a group of men, harassed the teens.
According to the 17-year-old victim, the trouble began when a man on a motorcycle stopped to ask for directions. While she was explaining, two others interrupted, accusing the girls of speaking to a Hindu man. The situation escalated as a mob of over a dozen men surrounded the sisters, with one man slapping the victim. The mob also confiscated her phone when she tried to call her brother. In a disturbing video shared widely online, the girls are seen surrounded by the men, one of whom held a “gift,” claiming the girls intended to give it to the “Hindu man.” They released the girls after learning the man was not Hindu.
The girls approached the local police and filed a complaint. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain confirmed that an FIR has been filed under relevant sections, including causing hurt and insulting the victims. Mehtab has been arrested, and authorities are working to identify the remaining men involved using the video evidence.
