Kolkata: Woman gets 1 arrested for lewd taunts

KOLKATA: An auto passenger, who allegedly passed lewd comments at a 30-year-old widow riding pillion on a scooterette, was arrested on Wednesday after she called up the Lalbazar control room and sought their help.

The cops said the incident took place around 9.20pm in the Ramlal Bazar area under Garfa police station.
Police said the woman, a resident of Garfa, was returning home with her boyfriend. “The auto on the Jadavpur-Ramlal Bazar route was crossing the bike when the accused, Chottu Samanta (26), an NK Ghosh Road resident, passed objectionable comments. When the couple stopped and protested, an argument broke out. Soon, the police were called in,” an officer said.
“The control room informed the local police who arrived at the spot and arrested Samanta. A case of molestation, criminal intimidation and insulting the modesty of a woman was recorded against the accused,” the officer said.
“We have sought the personal details of the auto driver to ascertain his role. To know the accused’s exact intentions, we are interrogating him and are recording statements of witnesses,” he said. Police said they will soon seek permission to record the statement of the victim before a magistrate.
Police said action has been prompt since Lalbazar was asked to record a general diary on report of any incident and dispatch a vehicle with officers to the spot.
“Any inaction on part of the duty officer and officer-in-charge or patrolling officer shall be viewed very stringently,’’ the top brass warned.