After widespread criticism from different quarters for their slow response in the incident of hooligans misbehaving with three girls and their male friend at Magnet Square on the Patia-Nandankanan Road on Friday, Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi on Saturday said all the accused involved in the crime have been identified.
Bhoi also said that the allegation by the victims regarding the delay in arrival of police at the spot is being probed.
The Nandankanan police on Saturday conducted raids at Raghunathpur, the area from where the accused allegedly hail, and detained several youths for questioning.
However, a youth reportedly managed to flee the spot during raid. Police seized a bike from the youth’s house which is believed to have been used by the accused during the incident.
Notably, some bike-borne youths on Friday passed lewd remarks at three girls, who were chitchatting with their male friend.
Following the incident, the girls along with their male friend chased the miscreants on the Patia-Nandankanan Road to nab them.
Though the eve teasers fled the spot, some youths believed to be their friends numbering around 10 suddenly appeared on the scene and abused the girls in foul language. later, they allegedly assaulted the girls and their male friend in the middle of the road.
The girls alleged while all this was happening in public glare, the onlookers remained mute spectators to the shameful incident. They further alleged that despite contacting the police control room (PCR), the cops reached almost after 40 minutes when the attackers had fled the spot.
A complaint has been registered at the Nandankanan police station in this regard.