Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MD)

Mangaluru, Aug 25: A day after a mob of right-wing activists stripped and thrashed a man after tying him to an electricity pole at Attavar here, the girl involved in the case added a twist alleging that the man had 'harassed' and 'misbehaved' with her, and that the attackers had 'rescued her'.

Shabbir (named changed) was caught by a group of right-wing activists, tied to a pole, stripped and assaulted for allegedly being in the company of the girl who is from another community.

The 21-year-old girl on Tuesday August 25 addressed a press meet here and alleged that Shabbir had been harassing her, and on Monday, had held her hand and forcibly tried to pull her into his car.

"I have been an employee in the operations department of a supermarket at Attavar from the last three months where Shabbir also is working. We used to interact as we worked in the same supermarket and we would talk in connection to our work. He asked my mobile number and started sending messages to me and I used to reply as he was my senior. I come from a poor family and got this job with great difficulty, and I was afraid that if I did not reply to his messages, he would trouble me at work.

"One day when I was going home from work he offered to drop me at Nandigudda bus stop and I got into his car a little away from the workplace. But on the way he misbehaved with me and I resisted his advances. However, he did not listen to my pleas and tried to touch me. I then told him to drop me at Bikarnakatte. After this, every time he saw me, he would say 'Come, I will give you money'," she claimed.

"Similarly, on August 24 too, at 5 pm when I was in the office, he sent me a message offering to drop me in his car. As I was under pressure from work, I accepted his offer. When I came out from the workplace, I saw him waiting in his car outside. He held my hand and forced me to get inside the car. I shouted for help and people who were around came to help and rescued me from his clutches. I also called my brother and told him about what had happened," she said.

She said she has filed a complaint against Shabbir in this regard and urged the police to take strict action against him and ensure that he does not trouble her anymore. She also claimed that he was blackmailing saying he has a video of her sitting in his car. In her complaint, she has urged the police to make him destroy the video.

The girl told media persons that she had no idea that Shabbir was tied to a pole and beaten up, and came to know of it only on Tuesday. She also claimed that she did not know that the people in the mob belonged to right-wing outfits.

"He deserved beating from the public. The people who rescued me are in jail now. I do not know who they are and I do not know if they belong to any group," she said.

"I fear for my life and I need police protection," she urged.

When asked if she told Shabbir to give her Rs 2,000 as claimed by him, she said she had never asked money from him. "I am not so poor that I would ask money from anyone," she said.

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