TENSION erupted at Indira Nagar in Imambada area after hundreds of residents thrashed a van driver for outraging the modesty of a seven-year-old school girl in his vehicle on Tuesday afternoon. The angry mob damaged his school van (MH-04/J-1128) but he survived because of timely arrival of police. Identified as Ashok Manohar Verma (30), the accused is a resident of Plot No 16, Ajni Chowk. Verma used to drop the girl and her 14-year-old brother from school to their house in his van. Around 3 pm, Verma was to drop the two children to their home.
He stopped his van in Shiv Galli at Timber Market and asked the girl’s brother to bring potato chips from a shop after giving him some money. When the boy went to the shop, he allegedly started outraging the modesty of the girl in his van. A young woman passingby noticed the incident and raised an alarm. Within minutes, hundreds of residents from Indira Nagar gathered and bashed up Verma ruthlessly. They then damaged his van.
Staff from Imambada Police Station led by Senior Inspector Mukund Salunke arrived at the spot on being informed and took Verma into custody. Verma was taken for medical examination and later arrested on charges under Sections 354, 354(a) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 8,9(n) and 10 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.