A shocking incident of a girl being shown a knife by two youths in a lift at the Mahagunpuram Society in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has created panic among residents.
According to a report in Jagran, the girl, a class VIII student, was travelling in the lift to buy milk when two B.Tech students, Rajan Maurya and Sharif Ahmed, entered the lift on the fourth floor.
One of them brandished a small knife at her, causing her to panic. After reaching the ground floor, both youths left the lift, and the girl returned to her flat to report the incident to her family.
Police complaint is withdrawn by victim's family
CCTV footage of the incident was captured and circulated on social media. The victim's father, Raj Teotia, had lodged a complaint with the police. However, the accused apologised to him and claimed that it was just a prank. The victim forgave them, and Teotia withdrew his complaint.
Precautions for using lifts
The incident has raised concerns about the security of residential societies and the safety of children using lifts. Residents have been advised to take the following precautions:
1. Avoid sending children alone in elevators as much as possible.
2. Instruct children to press the alarm button in case of any problem in the lift.
3. Inform relatives or security guards immediately in case of any problem.
Police took action after the incident
The police have taken suo moto cognisance of the incident and have challaned both the accused under the section of breach of peace. The police have also arrested both the accused under section 151, which empowers the police to arrest and detain a person without a warrant if they believe that the person is likely to commit a breach of peace or cause a disturbance of public tranquillity. If a fresh formal complaint is lodged by the victim or her family, further action will be taken.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
