Calcutta, Sept. 4: Shanawaz Khan, the 25-year-old son of a senior police officer, was arrested late this evening on charges of molesting a girl.

Passers-by at HA block in Salt Lake called police from Bidhan Nagar (South) police station after the youth misbehaved with the 23-year-old while she was returning home after performing pujas.

North 24-Parganas superintendent Praveen Kumar said a case has been slapped on Khan under section 354 of the IPC. “My officers are interrogating Khan,” he added.

Police claimed the girl was walking back to her house with her friend, a married woman in her early 30s, when Khan reportedly approached her. Witnesses claimed he passed lewd remarks and came and held her from behind.

As she cried for help, the people wrested her free and began beating him up. Some of the witnesses claimed that at this point, he started shouting he was the son of a senior police officer.

The mob was further infuriated and gave him a thrashing before calling the police. A team of officers rushed to the spot and took him away. Amid the commotion, the girl and her companion left.