Uttarakhand police arrest Muslim barber accused of making obscene gesture to teenage girl in Chamoli

Gopeshwar: A 24-year-old man accused of making an obscene gesture at a teenage girl in Nandanagar tehsil of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has been arrested, police said on Monday.

The accused, a Muslim barber, was arrested on Sunday night from Bijnor in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pramod Shah told PTI.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "Women's respect is paramount for us. We condemn any unpleasant incident happening with any woman or daughter. The law will punish the culprit on priority. Such incidents cannot be tolerated in Devbhoomi."

The incident had sparked tensions in Nandanagar on Sunday, with hundreds of people taking to the streets to demand the arrest of the accused.

Angry villagers also attempted to vandalise the shop of the accused.

In view of the sensitivity of the matter, which involves two different communities, Chamoli superintendent of police and other officials are still stationed in Nandanagar. The situation is under control, DSP Shah said.