UP man held after 66 complaints of harassment by women

A 51-year-old man, facing over 66 complaints of harassment by women and girls across Uttar Pradesh, has finally been arrested. The accused, Rajesh Kumar, father of three married sons, was arrested from Aurraiya district on Saturday. He is a resident of the Jeeva Sarsani village under the Bela police circle in Aurraiya district.

Two cell phones and multiple SIMs used for luring and harassing women were seized from his possession.

According to reports, the accused would call women and girls on their mobile phones and harass them by making objectionable remarks and force them to listen to his vulgar songs and indulge with him in vulgar chat.

There were nearly 66 women and girls from various districts across the state who had made a complaint against him with the Women Power Line at Lucknow.

The cases may go up as many of his victims have not yet gone to the police, fearing blackmail.

Rajesh's first misdeed was reported in 2018, when a woman approached the Women Power Line number and filed a complaint against him.

Aurraiya police, along with Dial 1090 team, identified the accused on the basis of the CDR (call detail record) details of his phone.

Rajesh was arrested by a team led by Inspector, Bela police station and Inspector Women Power Line, Lucknow.

Superintendent of police Aurraiya, Aparna Gautam, said, "Based on technical inquiry and details obtained from Women Power Line, a joint team of Bela police and Women Power Line, Lucknow traced the location of the suspect and arrested him from his house in Jeeva Sarsani village of Aurraiya."

Inspector Bela Pappu Singh said, "During interrogation, Rajesh, a farmer by profession, admitted to his involvement in the crime and revealed that he had victimised over 100 girls and women across the state for personal satisfaction."

The complainants told police they had been getting incessant calls and messages from two numbers, which the accused was using. Police said he had contacts of more than 200 women in his phones at the time of his arrest.

Police about his modus-operandi said the accused would allegedly dial different combinations of numbers.

If a girl or woman picked up, he would save the number. Later, he would allegedly dial again and force the girls and women to indulge with him in vulgar talks.

Inspector, Women Power Line, Ajay Pal, said, "He was harassing girls and women since 2018. Initially, Women Power Line, after tracking down his number following numerous complaints, also tried to counsel him, but in vain and he continued with his misdeeds."

A case under sections 354 D 2 (whoever commits the offence of stalking), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 504 (whoever intentionally insults, and thereby gives provocation to any person, intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause him to break the public peace, or to commit any other offence) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of IPC has been lodged against him and he has been sent to jail.

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