12-yr-old boy booked for dragging minor with intent to ‘outrage modesty’

Bareilly: A 12-year-old boy from Hapur's Kotwali Nagar area has been accused of dragging a minor girl as she was returning home from tuition, allegedly to outrage her modesty. Police said the incident took place around 7pm on Friday when the girl, along with her cousin and stepsister, all from the minority community, was crossing a lane near a mosque and was allegedly accosted by the juvenile.Circle officer (Kotwali) Varun Mishra told TOI, "We lodged an FIR under BNS Section 74 (criminalises assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) at Kotwali police station against the juvenile."The incident was captured on CCTV. The nearly one-minute footage purportedly shows the boy grabbing the hand of one of the girls and trying to drag her away before fleeing when she screamed and raised an alarm.Residents said the lane usually sees steady movement of students and locals. Some added that harassment was not uncommon there, but the circulation of the video this time brought the issue into sharp focus.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !