Patna, Feb. 28: The city police are keeping their fingers crossed and desperately hoping that the khaki-clad man, who misbehaved with a schoolgirl in an autorickshaw last evening, is not a cop.

In a bid to save face, the cops have launched a massive manhunt to nab the eve-teaser. A team led by city superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande has started tracking the man. The police are drawing up the sketch of the accused from the information provided by the girl.

Patna senior superintendent of police Alok Kumar visited the girl’s home on Jagdev Path, near Leeds Asian School and spoke to the victim’s father.

A senior police officer said the first thing the cops want to ascertain is whether the accused is a cop or a security guard.

The uniform of guards of many security agencies is similar to the police or the Special Auxiliary Police, often leading to confusion. The cops are now considering means to rectify the situation. Private agencies could be asked to change their uniforms, said a police officer.

On Sunday, the girl, a student of Central School, Sheikhpura, was on her way to a painting class in an autorickshaw. A man in a khaki uniform was also in the auto the girl boarded. The uniformed co-passenger allegedly started misbehaving with her.

The girl asked the autorickshaw driver to stop the vehicle near JD Women’s College. But when she tried to get out, the man caught her hand. When the frightened girl raised an alarm, the autorickshaw driver sped away, with the man still in the vehicle.

The girl’s family finally lodged an FIR with the Shastri Nagar police station later in the evening. Sanjay Kumar, the station house officer of Shatrinagar police station has been suspended by the SSP for not taking prompt action in the case.

Her father is an assistant engineer with the state road construction department.

“This is a serious incident and the police are working on this. A team has been formed under the city superintendent of police to investigate the case,” Alok told The Telegraph.

Alok also said that at present, the police were talking to the girl about the man so that the sketch can be prepared.

“With the sketch of the man with the police, the search can be narrowed down. All aspects of the accused are being considered. The man will be caught,” the SSP said.

“There are many agencies whose uniforms resemble that of the police. We are trying to develop a system through which this problem can be solved,” Alok said.

This is not the first time that the police have been accused in an eve-teasing case.

On February 26, another girl had alleged that an officer of the quick mobile unit, near Patliputra police station, had harassed her. The next day Sunil Singh, the policeman in question, revealed to his superiors that his friend Ramparvesh Kumar had misbehaved with the girl. Singh was suspended for negligence of duty.