Mumbai: 15-yr-old girl sexually harassed inside BEST bus, Malabar Hill Police launch manhunt

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The Malabar Hill Police in Mumbai have launched a manhunt nab a man who allegedly sexually harassed a teenage girl inside a BEST bus while she was returning home from her school. The 15-year-old girl was harassed inside a BEST bus number 121 while she was returning home in June, however last week when she spotted the same person inside her bus she raised an alarm and her family reached the out to the police.

According to the police, the incident took place in the third week of June when the victim girl a resident of Girgaon area was on her way home. On the day, she boarded 121 number bus from J Mehta Bus stop at around 2.30pm. While the bus was about to reach the bridge near Nana Chowk in Grant Road, the accused touched her inappropriately. She raised an alarm and also alerted the ticket checker of the bus. But, before he could do anything the accused fled away. After reaching home, the victim narrated the incident to her family, however, they chose not to approach the police then.

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A friend of the minor girl had also made a video of the accused, with the help of which the police are now trying to trace him, the accused who was wearing glasses at the time of the incident is aged between 22-25 years, the police said.

On Thursday, the family of the victim reached out to the police and on the complaint of her mother the Malabar Hill Police registered an offence under section 354-A (sexual harassment) and 354-D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with section 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO), the police said.

"We have registered an offence and further investigation is underway," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) zone 2 Neelotpal said.

Sources said, the matter was also being investigated by the crime branch.