A family of eight from Nashik was chased for nearly 20 kilometres and their car was attacked with sticks and iron rods after a group of men allegedly sexually harassed a woman in the group during a Sunday outing to the Bhavli Dam and waterfall area in Igatpuri.
The family had gone to the picnic spot for the day when two men at the site allegedly whistled at and sexually harassed one of the women.
When the family objected, the situation escalated rapidly, with the accused turning aggressive and eventually being joined by others working at nearby food stalls.
"We had gone for a picnic. We had our food, played in the water, and then we were leaving. That's when two people there called out my name and started harassing me," the victim said, recounting the ordeal to NDTV.
"I scolded the men. My husband also confronted them and asked why they were harassing a woman in a public place," she added.
The confrontation drew a larger crowd of men who began abusing the family. "Soon there were 8-10 men and they all charged at us," the victim said. Despite the family's attempts to defuse the situation and leave, the group refused to let them go.
"After a little confrontation, we tried to leave. When we moved in our car, they blocked us and started smashing our car windows. They then chased us for nearly 20 kilometres. They damaged our car completely with iron rods. The car is completely destroyed," she said.
Children were present in the car during the attack. "The children are still so scared," the victim added.
On the family's complaint, Igatpuri police have detained nine of the ten accused and are questioning them, while a search is on for the remaining suspect. Police said one of the detained accused has a prior murder case registered against him.
The family has also alleged that the men snatched a gold chain from the neck of the victim's husband during the scuffle, and that one member of the family lost her mobile phone in the chaos, with police now attempting to trace its location.
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