Hooghly, 19 July (H.S.): A case of molestation was reported near Hindmotor Railway Station in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Saturday morning. Tension gripped the area after the incident, with local residents beating up the accused, garlanding him with shoes, and handing him over to the police.

According to police sources, the incident occurred when a young girl had gone to the station early in the morning to buy a train ticket. A youth arrived at the spot on a bicycle and stood near the ticket counter. He allegedly lunged at the girl, leading her to scream for help. Hearing her cries, nearby people quickly rushed to the scene.

The locals reportedly tied the accused to a pole and beat him up. Later, they garlanded him with shoes and handed him over to Uttarpara police.

As per available information, the accused hails from Bihar and was working at his uncle’s roadside 'phuchka' stall near Hindmotor.

The police have initiated an investigation and are reviewing CCTV footage from the station premises to verify the sequence of events.

Arnab Biswas, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Chandannagar Police Commissionerate, said, “The girl left the spot after the incident. Locals caught the accused and handed him over to the police. The investigation is ongoing.”

Prabir Kansabanik, the councillor of Ward No. 4 of Uttarpara Municipality, remarked, “This is an unfortunate incident. Nothing like this has ever happened in our area before. Thankfully, due to the alertness of the local residents, the accused was caught immediately.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey