KARACHI: In another shameful crime of indecent exposure against women, some female students of the University of Karachi travelling in a vehicle were flashed by a young motorcyclist, who was riding along the vehicle in parallel on busy Rashid Minhas Road while committing the crime, it emerged on Sunday.

A video of the incident made by an occupant of the vehicle has also gone viral on social media, sparking public outrage over rising crime of harassment against women.

The man seen openly harassing female students on their way prompted police authorities to take its notice.

Central SSP Faisal Abdullah Chachar told Dawn that the incident occurred on September 28. He said one of the female students made the video of the incident and uploaded it on social media.

Viral video of another indecent exposure sparks public outrage

The police took its cognizance and efforts were underway to arrest the suspect, the officer added.

The SSP said the incident occurred when some female students of Karachi University were travelling in a vehicle. They were going from Gulistan-i-Jauhar to Gulshan-i-Iqbal by Rashid Minhas Road when a motorcyclist chased them and harassed them for around five minutes near UBL Sports Complex opposite Lucky Mall.

The SSP said that generally victim did not come forward to report such harassment cases. Therefore, the police had decided to register an FIR on behalf of the state through a police officer to take the suspect to task.

The FIR was registered under Sections 294 (obscene acts and songs), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complainant said in the FIR that he saw the video of the suspect, sitting on a motorcycle, indulging in “obscene acts”, exposing his private parts and harassing female students sitting in a van.

It may be noted that the police had failed to arrest another young man who in July had tried to sexually assault a woman in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023