The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Girl harassed at cinema hall, seven detained

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Girl harassed at cinema hall, seven detained

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI. OCT. 19. Police rounded up a group of drunken men who were harassing a young couple inside a movie hall at Koyambedu, amid high drama during a matinee show.

The detained men, reportedly from Poonamallee, Kamalesh (24), Prakash (24), Venkatesan (34), Jayakumar (32), Dinakaran (31), Iyappan (28), Madhavan (35), walked in late into the theatre and seated themselves behind the couple. Midway into `7G Rainbow Colony,' the men began to harass the girl in front.

"They were making a lot of noise and disturbing the entire audience," a journalist in the audience said. The teasing worsened when one of the men flashed a torchlight on the girl. As they moved closer, one of them tried to fall on the girl, but was shielded from doing so by her friend. The girl rushed out of the hall, followed by her friend. The men pursued them.

The couple returned after complaining to the theatre management and changed seats. But the trouble-makers followed and resumed their harassment, this time hurling expletives. The management then called the police.

Two constables walked in only to be abused by the gang who dared them to take action. The constables asked the couple if they wanted to press charges. The friend pleaded to the police to drop the issue and said the matter had been sorted out.

But as the harassment continued, the journalist prevailed upon the management to call the police again. Within minutes, two police jeeps reached the theatre. Policemen walked into the hall and took seven of the men away before the movie reached its climax.

With the couple not willing to press charges, the police detained the men for interrogation at the Koyambedu station and slapped a public nuisance case against them. The men were later released on bail.

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