A 34-year-old woman was allegedly molested and her husband was beaten up in full public glare by a motorcycle rider in J.P. Nagar on Thursday. The alleged incident occurred around 9.30 p.m. at a traffic signal near the Raghavendra Swamy mutt in J.P. Nagar second phase.

The police said the couple was on their scooter heading from Jayanagar towards J.P. Nagar to attend a friend’s birthday party. The woman was holding a birthday cake and was riding pillion.

When they stopped at the signal, the couple told the police, a biker stopped near them and started staring at the woman. Initially, she ignored him, but as he kept staring at her, she informed her husband who objected to his behaviour. Enraged by this, the accused got down from his bike and started abusing the duo, misbehaving with the woman, according to their complaint.

When the complainants retaliated, the accused took out his helmet and attacked the couple. A crowd gathered, but instead of helping the couple, they started blaming them for creating nuisance and holding up traffic, according to the complaint.

A BMTC staff came to their rescue and pacified the crowd.

The couple then headed to J.P. Nagar police station to file a complaint. The biker had followed the couple to the police station and filed a counter complaint. After verifying CCTV footage, police arrested the accused, identified as Kiran S., 31, a salesman at a liquor outlet in Peenya.

“We have booked the accused under Sections 354 (sexual harassment), 324 (assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC,” said Annamalai, DCP South division.