Defying a rising trend of people remaining mute spectators to heinous crimes being committed right in front of them, a 30-year-old man in Mumbai’s Malad area showed the courage to confront a drug addict who was attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman and protected her pride.
According to a Mid-Day report, when Khalique Siddiqui came across a youth trying to rape a woman while she was on her way back from work, he not only jumped in to save her but also managed to get the 19-year-old culprit, a drug addict, arrested.
The incident took place when the victim, a resident of Malwani who lives with her husband and works a maid in Malad, was on her way back home.
After finishing the day’s work, she was crossing the Malad-Malwani bridge, which despite being broken down is used by pedestrians. Suddenly, the accused, who was hiding behind the mangroves, sprang out and dragged out into the bushes.
However, the victim managed to free her mouth and started screaming. Hearing her, Siddiqui, who was passing by, wasted no time in deciding to help and jumped in.
“God sent him as an angel for me… he saved my life. I can’t thank God and him enough,” Mid-Day quoted the woman as saying.
Siddiqui, who also lives in Malwani, works as a footwear salesman at a shop in Infinity mall, Malad West. He said that he was on his way home when he heard the woman’s screams. He asked a pedestrian to help him save her, but he refused.
“I asked a pedestrian to come and help me, but he said ‘Leave it. Why do you want to put your life in danger?’ But I thought to myself, ‘What if this were my sister?’” he said.
Siddiqui then asked another woman passing by to call other people while he went in the mangroves to help the victim.
“I went 20-25 meters inside the mangroves and saw that the youth had pinned the woman down with her scarf around her throat. I began shouting and ran towards him with a stick. He panicked seeing me come at him and ran away, further into the bushes,” he said.
He further added that the woman returned with a few people after some time, who helped him look for the accused and catch him.
Later, the victim lodged a complaint against the 19-year-old accused at Malwani police station.
The accused was presented before a court, which sent him to police custody.
