Five Naval men have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a 25-year-old man in Vasco town near here, police said today, though the Navy has denied the involvement of its personnel in the incident.
Adding a new twist, Navy said the man had tried to outrage the modesty of daughter of another Naval personnel, and had hurt himself while fleeing on his bike during a chase.
Rajesh Pachar, Shamlal Singh Takshak, Jitendra Singh, Amit KumarJaiswal and Anupam Sharma, posted at the Navy's INS Hansa base, were arrested yesterday for allegedly assaulting Atul Bicholkar in Vasco town.
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In a press statement issued here, Navy dismissed that its men working at INS Hansa base had attacked the man, saying he was injured in a bike mishap.
"The facts of the incident have been wrongly indicated and do not bring out the misdeeds of a local man involved in outraging modesty of a teenage girl, who is the daughter of a Naval personnel," the statement said.
As per the complaint filed by Bicholkar's mother, the five men were travelling in an official vehicle, which they dashed against the two-wheeler of her son yesterday.
When Bicholkar fell down, they assaulted him with a metal pipe and fist blows causing grievous injury to his right leg and other parts of the body, according to the complaint.
However, the Navy said, "On 18 October, the girl was returning home from school. She was accosted by the accused near SMRC hospital, exhibiting obscene gestures. The man stripped his trousers and followed the girl as she ran home. The girl's mother filed an FIR at Vasco police station against the then unidentified man.
"The following morning, five personnel of Naval Police, including the father, visited the scene of incident accompanied by the girl. The girl identified the accused, who was waiting at the same spot on his yellow and white motorcycle," the release stated.
"Upon seeing the naval personnel along with the girl, the accused tried to flee on his bike. As the naval personnel pursued to apprehend him, the accused hit the road divider at high speed and fell on road, sustaining injuries," the Navy statement said.
According to the Navy, the suspect was nabbed and
handed over to Vasco police.
"A counter FIR falsely accusing the five naval personnel of assaulting the youth has been filed by the mother of the accused on October 19. The case is under investigation by Vasco Police," the release stated.
Police have booked Pachar, Takshak, Singh, Jaiswal and Sharma under various sections of IPC including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (armed with deadly weapons) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others).
