Maha 'moral brigade' assaults couple, molests woman

Four members of a self-proclaimed 'moral brigade' this week assaulted a young college-going couple and molested the woman at an isolated spot on the outskirts of Godegaon, officials said here on Friday.

The police have identified all the accused and nabbed two of them from Jalna district, said a top official.

The incident, which happened on January 29, came to the fore after a private TV channel got hold of a video shot by one of the accused, prompting the police to take action in the matter that sparked outrage among leaders across political parties.

"We have arrested two persons, including one minor. A search is on to trace the remaining two accused," Jalna Superintendent of Police Chaitanya Siriprolu told IANS.

He said the victims are college students in their teens. The four accused forcibly posed themselves to be a self-proclaimed moral brigade though they are reportedly not affiliated to any such groups or political party.

Siriprolu said that the couple did not lodge any police complaint, but the police have recorded their statement, and two teams have launched a hunt for the other two accused who are absconding.

The accused have been identified as Atish A. Khandare, Sushil S. Wagh, Karbari R. Wagh and Krishna C. Wagh -- who shot the entire video at an unidentified location.

The video shows the four including one wielding a 'lathi' approaching the young unidentified couple, roughing them up, pushing, pulling, punching, grabbing the girl's shirt collar and forcing her away from the boy, abusing and threatening to summon her parents.

The boy and girl were seen pleading with them, calling the lathi-wielder as 'Dada' (elder brother), seeking forgiveness and asking to be released from their clutches.

Bharatiya Janata Party's Union Minister of State Raosaheb Patil-Danve, who hails from Jalna, took serious note of the incident in Delhi and requested Maharashtra government to take stringent action against the offenders.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray discussed the issue with Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and directed that action be taken in the incident that took place around 425 km north-east of Mumbai.

Nationalist Congress Party senior Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant, Shiv Sena Minister Dada Bhuse, and Maharashtra State Women's Commission Chairperson Chitra Wagh of BJP have flayed the incident and urged the government not to spare the accused.

The incident sent shock waves in state education circles and college campuses with students urging the government to ensure their safety and protection.IANS