Bengaluru, Dec 15 : The Kamakshipalya police have arrested a man accused of harassing and assaulting women in Bengaluru over the past month.

The accused, identified as Vinod, reportedly targeted women who were alone after 6 p.m., attacking those walking on roads as well as women riding two-wheelers and indulging in vulgar behaviour with them.

According to police, Vinod would approach women walking alone and hug them forcibly. In the case of women riding bikes, he would wait for them to slow down due to potholes and then run towards them to grab them. He would allegedly behave indecently, touching their private parts and committing perverse acts.

The arrest follows a complaint lodged by a 42-year-old woman after an incident on December 2 near Srinivasa Circle at Sunkadakatte. The woman was riding her bike, while her husband was following her in a car. As she slowed down near a pothole, Vinod ran towards her, grabbed her, and behaved indecently. Her husband attempted to catch him, but Vinod managed to escape initially.

A call to emergency number 112 was made, and with the assistance of Hoysala police personnel, Vinod was apprehended. During interrogation, the accused reportedly admitted that he had been committing similar acts for the past month, exploiting the fact that no prior complaints had been filed against him.

Vinod is currently in police custody, and the Kamakshipalya police are investigating further to determine the full extent of his actions.

The police have booked the accused under Sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

Further investigation is on.

It can be recalled that a bike taxi rider in Bengaluru was arrested and charged for allegedly trying to grab a woman passenger's legs during a ride in the city on November 9. The woman had recorded a video of the act and later went to the police. In an Instagram post, the woman had recounted her ordeal, alleging that a rider tried to grab her legs while she was returning to her paying guest accommodation from Church Street.

She said the incident happened suddenly, leaving her no time to react or record it. When the rider repeated the act, she confronted him, asking him to stop, but he allegedly continued. As she was new to the area and unfamiliar with the route, she said she did not ask him to stop the bike. The woman said that after reaching her destination, a nearby man noticed her distress and questioned her, following which he confronted the rider. The rider reportedly apologised and claimed he would not repeat the behaviour, but while leaving, he allegedly gestured at her in a manner that made her feel further unsafe.

Sharing her experience, the woman said she decided to speak out to highlight that no woman should face such harassment in cabs, on bikes, or anywhere else. She added that while she had experienced similar incidents earlier, the sense of insecurity during this episode compelled her to break her silence.

/IANS