Mumbai, Jan. 8: The 14 accused in the New Year molestation of two women at Juhu were released on bail at 7pm today after spending four nights in jail.

The youths, between 18 and 26, had surrendered on January 3 and were produced in court the next day where they were granted bail with a surety of Rs 10,000 each.

Since then, they have been lodged in separate barracks with other undertrials at Arthur Road Jail.

All 14 have denied molesting the women. Nine of the youths live in the same building in Ville Parle and the rest are their friends or relatives.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 19, when the prosecution is expected to produce some more witnesses, including Jagdish Dave, a 24-year-old jewellery shop assistant who was photographed trying to save the women.

The delay in the release of the 14 angered their families. “Despite us ensuring that the surety reached the court on time, it took police so many days to release my clients. We filed a contempt of court case against them yesterday,” said advocate Shirish Bhave, who represents 12 of the accused.

“The parents of these kids have been running around arranging the amount and they are at their wit’s end. The verification of the sureties should hardly take a day or two.”

An official at Juhu police station said: “You have to understand there are 14 accused, and each of their sureties has to be processed.”

Mohan Jadav, the father of Derek, an accused, said: “I don’t know what to say. They have been pronounced guilty without a trial. They have also been treated badly in jail. They are very depressed.”

Sunil Mayekar, a neighbour who helped the families with the sureties, said the youths were beaten up at Juhu police station. “Is there no one who bothers about them? Will they ever get a fair trial?”