14 held in Mumbai molestation case, released on bail

Mumbai, Jan 4 (UNI) Fourteen people were today arrested in connection with the molestation of two California-based girls here in the early hours of January 1, and all of them were later released on bail.

The fourteen were arrested early this morning. They have been identified as Nilesh Mangesh Bagaikar (19), Sudhir Sudam Naikwade (19), Krunal Shivaji Jadhav (20), Shabi Agustani D'Souza (18), Ajay Anil Marathe (18), Vaibhav Anil Marathe (19), Sandip Mani Panchal (23), Manoj Mani Panchal (21), Sandip Phulchand Shukla (19), Derick Mohan Jadhav (19), Swapnil Ashok Mandare (21), Siddharth Rajnish Singh (19), Amit Hemraj Kapoor (28), and Ravindra Phulgani Shukla (27).

Barring Shukla, who is a resident of Kandivali here, all the others are from Vile Parle, police said.

All the accused have been booked under sections 143, 147, 149, 323, 354, 341, 504 read with section 135 of the Indian Penal code.

They were produced before the 22nd Metropolitan Court at Andheri later in the day. The court remanded them to judicial custody till January 19.

However, thereafter, all those arrested moved bail applications which were heard today itself.

Additional chief metropolitan magistrate B N Bondare granted bail to all of them upon furnishing bond of Rs 10,000 each.

While granting bail, the judge directed them to present themselves during the identification parade and cooperate with the investigating agency. They have to attend the police station as and when called to do so.

The two California-based girls were allegedly molested by a group of 50 to 60 new year revellers outside a five-star hotel in northwestern part of the city in the early hours of January 1.

UNI ST MAZ MS KN1725