Man arrested for harassing, groping woman in Karachi’s Samanabad: police

Published October 6, 2023
A screengrab from a CCTV footage shows a man walking down a lane before he grabs a passerby woman.
A screengrab from a CCTV footage shows a man walking down a lane before he grabs a passerby woman.

Karachi police on Friday arrested a man for sexually harassing and groping a woman in Karachi’s Samanabad area.

The incident, which was caught on CCTV camera, shows a man walking down a lane before he grabs a passerby woman.

The video sparked outrage on social media as people demanded the immediate arrest of the suspect.

In a statement released today, District Central Police said the suspect had been apprehended. “He hails from Bhingoria Goth, Azizabad area, and operates a mobile bakery service using his motorcycle,” it said.

“The suspect had abandoned his motorcycle at the crime scene before fleeing,” the statement said, adding that further investigation into the case was underway.

It further stated that a first information report of the incident was registered on behalf of the police.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, invokes sections 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

It said the incident occurred on Oct 5. The complainant stated in the FIR that the suspect was identified as Asif Ali, adding that the police arrested him on a tip-off.

In a similar incident earlier this month, a video began circulating on social media, showing a man on a motorcycle exposing himself to female university students on one of the city’s prominent roads. Subsequently, Sindh Inspector General (IG) of Police, Riffat Mukhtar, took notice of the incident and sought a detailed report on the matter.

Previously, a disturbing video clip of a man exposing himself and assaulting a woman in broad daylight in Gulistan-i-Jauhar had gone viral on social media in July, prompting the police to take notice.

Opinion

Editorial

Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.
Missing links
Updated 27 Apr, 2024

Missing links

As the past decades have shown, the country has not been made more secure by ‘disappearing’ people suspected of wrongdoing.
Freedom to report?
27 Apr, 2024

Freedom to report?

AN accountability court has barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife from criticising the establishment...
After Bismah
27 Apr, 2024

After Bismah

BISMAH Maroof’s contribution to Pakistan cricket extends beyond the field. The 32-year old, Pakistan’s...