Barber's Lewd Gesture Toward Teenage Girl Sparks Tensions in Chamoli

Gopeshwar: A man's alleged obscene gesture towards a local teenage girl sparked tensions in the Nandanagar tehsil of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, with hundreds of people taking to the streets on Sunday to demand the accused's arrest.

Angry villagers marched through the streets and even attempted to vandalise the barber shop run by the accused -- a 24-year-old man from another community.

The accused is absconding and his shop is shut.

Local traders' association president Nandan Singh said people hit the streets to demand action against the accused and those supporting him.

"Protests are underway. People are shocked by this incident. Everyone has come out on the streets," Singh said.

Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Sarvesh Panwar rushed to the spot with a team to pacify the protesters in view of the sensitivity of the matter.

Locals said the alleged incident occurred on August 22 and the girl's father lodged a report with the local police.

The accused allegedly made obscene gestures at the girl, who lived in the same neighbourhood. She complained about the matter to her mother, who went to question the barber. But the accused had shut his shop and fled by then.

The girl's father was not in Nandanagar at that time. He was informed of the alleged incident on Saturday and he lodged a complaint at Nandanagar police station, the locals said.

Calls to the Chamoli police superintendent went unanswered. PTI COR ALM ALM SZM SZM