A Bengaluru-based influencer has alleged that she was molested while walking down a street at BTM Layout on Tuesday. Neha Biswal was on her way back from work and was recording a video blog when a boy riding a cycle from the opposite direction groped her. The incident was caught on camera.
A visibly upset Biswal, who lives in a paying guest facility in the area, narrated the incident in a reel for her over four lakh followers on Instagram and said that she was traumatised. "This has never happened to me. I feel really bad."
"I was making a video while walking, this boy was initially riding in the same direction then he saw me, made a U-turn and began to come towards me," Biswal said. "He first teased me and mimicked how I was talking on camera and then molested me."
She added that the boy—who the police revealed was only 10—tried to escape but was caught by the locals when she raised a cry. To her dismay, however, several residents asked her to forgive him and let him go because he was a "child". Biswal further said that after being caught, the boy alleged that he had lost balance while riding and accidentally brushed past her.
"Only after I played the video clearly showing what he had done did people believe me," she said. "So many people were asking me to let him go because he was a child, but I did not stop. I hit him. There were a few people who supported me and beat him up but to be honest, I don't feel safe here."
In a follow-up video, Biswal said that the Bengaluru Police had taken cognisance of the matter and even though she has not registered an FIR, officers are combing through CCTV footage to find the accused.
"I did not file an FIR because a child is involved and I don't want to ruin his future but I do want him to be caught and be given some kind of a warning," she said, adding that the Bengaluru Police have been really helpful to her. "They did not make me feel like I am not a local, but I am still mentally disturbed by what had happened," Biswal said.
In another video, shot by Biswal and shared by Deputy Commissioner of Police South-East division Bengaluru City Police on Twitter, she said that the police has helped her and treated her like a 'child' and resolved the matter.
Speaking to Moneycontrol, DCP South Sarah Fatima said they had apprehended the accused and are investigating the case. "The boy was 10 years old and he claims that he was trying out some stunts with the cycle when he brushed past the victim. Biswal said she did not want to file an FIR as that would harm the juvenile's future, but we are looking into it," she said.
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