Woman molested during road rage on Katraj-Dehu Road bypass

PUNE: A car driver allegedly molested a 41-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai late on Sunday night when she intervened in a scuffle between him and her husband following a minor accident at Warje on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass.

The suspect allegedly tore the woman’s top. He also pushed her when she tried to save her husband.

The Warje Malwadi police have registered an offence against an unidentified car driver under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We have the registration number of the car, but its driver is yet to be arrested,” said senior inspector Bajirao Mole of the Warje Malwadi police.

Mole said the complainant was a resident of Navi Mumbai. “On Sunday night, she was returning home from Kolhapur with her husband, children and sister in their car. When they reached near Mai Mangeshkar Hospital on Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, a hatchback car dashed into the rear of their vehicle,” he said.

“As their car was damaged, the woman’s husband told the driver of the hatchback car to drive properly. The hatchback car’s driver started abusing her husband immediately. The duo had a heated argument, too,” Mole said.

The hatchback car’s driver then blocked the complainant’s car by parking his vehicle in front of it. “The woman stated in her complaint that when her husband got down from the car, the hatchback car’s driver started beating him up,” Mole said.

Seeing the scuffle, the woman got down from the car to save her husband. “When she tried to stop the suspect, the latter beat her up. During the scuffle her top was torn. The suspect pushed her and then left the spot in his car,” Mole said.

The woman came to the police station and lodged the complaint against the unidentified driver. “She has given us the registration number of the vehicle. The car is registered with the regional transport office (RTO), Pune. We will trace the address and arrest the driver,” Mole said.