Karnataka man arrested for flashing women at mosque during Ramzan programme

The Ullal police in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district have arrested a man for allegedly harassing a number of women at a mosque in the town. According to the police, the man — identified as 26-year-old Sujith Shetty — had illegally entered the special room where women offer namaz at the Tokkottu Huda Jumma Masjid in the outskirts of the town on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29 respectively.

As per reports, the incident occured during a programme organised for the fasting month of Ramzan. Police said that Sujith had entered the room at the mosque specifically meant for women, and allegedly tried to hold hands with several women and misbehaved with them. He also allegedly flashed his genitals to the women, police said. The programme was disrupted due to the incident, and Sujith reportedly escaped from the mosque before action could be taken against him.

A woman who was at the hall when the incident occured approached the Ullal police and filed a complaint against him. Sujith has been booked under sections 448 (trespass), 354 (assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage modesty), 509 (gesture or act intending to insult modesty of women) and 295 A (deliberate malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code, and has been arrested.

Sujith, who hails from Nitte in Karkala, reportedly worked as a home guard with the Ullal police. According to the Indian Express, Sujith has a history of misbehaving with women, as he was suspended from the police force for the same a few days ago. Some women had complained that Sujith had held them in an inappropriate manner while taking selfies with them, a police official told the Indian Express. The report also states that after he was suspended, Sujith was working at a bar in Mangaluru, and was allegedly in an inebriated condition when the incident occured at the mosque.

With IANS inputs