Patna, Oct. 13: Two inebriated youths abused and molested a college student today near the busy Income Tax roundabout under Kotwali police station, triggering posers about the safety of women in the state capital.

The incident occurred around 4.30pm. The student was waiting for her father at a little distance from an on shop at the roundabout where the two youths were drinking. Police said the girl had called her father before leaving the college. She had asked her to wait for him.

“She had waited for quite sometime. Then, she started to look for an autorickshaw. The two youths spotted her and came up to her. They asked her to accompany them and also offered to drop her at her destination. She declined their offer and tried to ignore them but the youths continued to harass her,” a police officer at Kotwali police station told The Telegraph.

He added that her malefactors were drinking at the shop before they spotted her and started to tease her.

The officer also said: “The girl’s father reached the spot soon and tried to stop the youths. But they were unfazed and assaulted both father and daughter.”

By now the commotion had started to attract passers-by and the youths, fearing that they would be apprehended, fled. They, however, left behind their motorbikes, which they had parked in front of the liquor shop.

The registration number of one of the bikes, painted in red and blue, indicates that one of them could be related to a policeman.

Sources said police reached the spot soon after.

“We have recovered two bikes with numbers BR21(C) 0641 and BR01(AY) 4182 from the spot. The first registration number is painted in the police identity colours of red and blue,” said city central superintendent of police Shivdeep Lande.

He added: “As the bikes are with us, both of the youths will be identified and arrested immediately. We are conducting investigations. An FIR has been lodged.”

This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred in recent times.

On September 26, a girl was almost pulled out of her friend’s car and molested by two youths in the Boring Road area under SK Puri police station.

Today’s incident left the citizens shocked

“This is such a serious incident. It is also very scary. The police should act fast and arrest the men involved. Those caught eve-teasing should not be shown any mercy. If they are not checked in time, they will gain in confidence,” said Jyoti Priya, a student of the Patna Women’s College.