A 28-year-old man identified as Mohd Aadil was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday night in Moradabad, following an encounter in which he was shot in the leg. Aadil is accused of sexually harassing a burqa-clad woman by groping her from behind while she was walking alone in a lane.
CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral online, shows the woman retaliating fiercely, eventually forcing the accused to flee. The footage triggered widespread outrage, prompting swift police action.
According to SP (City) Kumar Ranvijay Singh, the police were patrolling the area due to ongoing drone-related rumours when they spotted Aadil riding a motorcycle at high speed. He ignored police signals to stop, turned around, and tried to escape. After slipping in the mud and attempting to flee on foot, Aadil allegedly opened fire on the police. In retaliatory fire, he was shot in the left leg and taken into custody.
During interrogation, Aadil confessed he fled fearing arrest for his Sunday assault on the woman.
He was taken to the district hospital for treatment and is now under police custody. Initially, an FIR was lodged against an unknown person under BNS section 75 (sexual harassment), but police have confirmed that Aadil’s name will now be added to the chargesheet. He will be produced in court and sent to judicial custody.