CHENNAI — The Tamil Nadu Police arrested seven persons including a 17-year-old juvenile for allegedly forcing a woman to remove her hijab at the Vellore Fort Complex in Tamil Nadu.
S. Rajesh Kannan, Superintendent of Police, Vellore told IANS that the seven people are arrested for intentional insult and wanton vilification.”
He said that the arrested persons acted against individual freedom. The arrested are, K. Santosh (23), Imran Pasha (24), Mohammed Faisal (21), Ibrahim Basha (24), Mohammed Faisal (23) and C. Prasanth (23). The arrested juvenile is sent to child care home. Police said that most of those arrested are local auto-rickshaw drivers.
According to police, the incident happened on March 27 at noon when the woman wearing a hijab entered the fort for sight-seeing along with a friend. The arrested men also reached there and asked her to remove the hijab. One of them shot the incident on the phone and uploaded it in social media platforms which went viral.
A case was filed by the North Police of Vellore on a complaint given by the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) on Wednesday. Police constituted five special teams and nabbed the culprits on Thursday. The seven were arrested on charges of endangering public safety, threat to personal freedom, intention to create enmity between two section of people and also acting against the modesty of women.
Mobile phones of the arrested persons were also reportedly seized by the police, and have been sent to the cyber crime wing for analysis.
Police have directed people not to share the video clipping on social media platforms. Those indulging in the same would be charged under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and Information Technology (IT) Act.
Vellore Superintendent of Police said that further investigations are on. — IANS (Inputs added)
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Photo used for illustrative purposes only
