Two youths taking photographs of three girls on a two-wheeler were arrested for eve-teasing, but the men claimed they wanted to WhatsApp the snaps to the traffic police.

The facility to report traffic rule violations over WhatsApp was launched recently as part of the road safety week.

The two motorcycle-borne men allegedly intercepted three girls riding a two-wheeler near Patna Museum area under the jurisdiction of Kotwali police station and started clicking their photographs on their cellphone.

When the girls protested, the men began passing lewd comments but just then the girls saw Patna city superintendent of police (central) Shivdeep Lande's SUV pass by and shouted for help.

Hearing their cries for help, the officer stopped immediately to check what the commotion was about.

'The two men were nabbed and taken to the Kotwali police station. There, they said they were taking pictures because the girls were breaking traffic rules by riding trio on a two-wheeler. Also, the rider was not wearing a helmet. They said they wanted to WhatsApp the picture to 9234500601, the number recently launched by Patna traffic police,' an officer at Kotwali police station said.

However, he further said, bystanders said the men began passing lewd comments and harassing the girls when they tried to snatch the cellphone with which the youth took their photographs.

Patna city SP Lande confirmed the incident. He said: 'I was on my way to office when we saw some people engaged in a heated discussion near Patna Museum. As my soon as my vehicle approached, the girls shouted for help. We realised there was some trouble. The men on the bike tried to escape but we were able to nab them,' the said.

The girls said the duo were harassing and stalking them since long by clicking their pictures. They were brought to the Kotwali police station and an FIR lodged against them for stalking, harassment and eve-teasing,' he said.

The duo have been identified as Ritesh Kumar from Nalanda district and Rocky Kumar from Saharsa. Both belong to some students' group and live at a lodge in Musallahpur area.

'The cellphone of one of the guys was checked and pictures of the girls found. The pictures have been forwarded to the traffic SP's office so that action can be initiated against them, too, for breaking traffic rules. Eve-teasing and harassment of girls cannot be tolerated under any circumstances and police will always take action,' the city SP told The Telegraph.