Juhu molestation case: 12 accused deny involvement

MUMBAI: Twelve of the 14 youths, arrested for allegedly molesting two NRI women on New Year Day, on Wednesday denied any involvement in the incident, while one of them claimed he was not even in the city that night.

"Twelve of us were passing through the area that night when we saw a crowd of around 150 people. Three of us went to check as to what was happening and our photographs were clicked. It was very dark," Nilesh Bagaitkar told a press conference in the building compound in suburban Vile Parle where the group of 12 youths stay.

Two NRI girls hailing from Gujarat and settled in USA, accompanied by two men, were molested and groped by a crowd of over 70 men on exiting from a five-star hotel in suburban Juhu after a dance performance by actor Bipasha Basu. Two press photographers had clicked pictures of the incident.

Fourteen youths, including one who had surrendered, were arrested by the police on Friday and all the accused were freed on Tuesday after being granted bail.

A relationship manager with a private insurance company Amit Kapoor, who was also arrested, said, "I was celebrating with friends in (Navi Mumbai's) Vashi that night and also have proof of the same. Police took me saying I will be treated as a normal man but instead arrested me falsely."

Mohan Jadhav, the chairman of the housing society here, where the group stays, questioned as to who gave the right to the media to call the boys as "accused" in the case and added he was the one who had handed over the twelve to the police.