Mumbai:
A 16-year-old girl attempted suicide by consuming poison, unable to cope with frequent eve teasing she was facing at the hands of a group of boys in the vicinity.
The victim, identified as Veena was a first year student at a Pre University college in VV Puram. On Wednesday evening she had gone to pick her brother up from school as usual, but was followed and accosted by a group of young hooligans (names withheld) from the area.
The boys chased her in an autorickshaw and cornered her in a narrow alley. One of the main accused produced a mangalsutra and attempted to force her to wear it. Veena managed to escape from the spot and on returning home, she locked herself in her room. Her mother Indira told the police that she heard her daughter crying and attempted to ask her what had happened, but she would not open the door and said that she was too ashamed to tell her.
Sensing danger, Indira raised the alarm and her neighbours came to her aid and broke open a window to find the girl unconscious.
She was rushed to Apollo hospital, where her father Madhusoodhan works, and later shifted to Vani Vilas hospital for further treatment and stated to be out of danger.
The police recorded her statement and discovered that she was being frequently stalked and teased by group of local boys.
The police said, "On Wednesday evening when she left home, the boys followed her in an autorickshaw and intercepted her and started misbehaving in public. Veena raised an alarm, but the accused threatened a few passers-by with knifes when they tried to help her. One of the accused pulled out a mangalsutra and tried to force Veena to wear it, but she manage to escape from the spot."
Based on the complaint, the Hulimavu police have taken up a complaint and are on the lookout for the accused.
"We have got definite clues about the accused and they'll be nabbed soon," a police official said.
Rajith Kumar, a cousin of Veena told MiD DAY that the family hopes that the accused will punished soon, so that they and their daughter can be safe.
"This sort of incident should not happen to anyone else and the police should act and ensure girls can move around fearlessly," Kumar said.