A 24-year-old South Korean YouTuber, Hyojeong Park, was molested by two men in Mumbai's Khar on November 30 while she was livestreaming a video.
What happened: In the video that is going viral on social media, the two men are seen dragging the woman who keeps saying 'no'.
The men were identified as Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari and arrested by the Mumbai Police. The police took suo motu action against the accused and registered a case under IPC 354 (sexual assault). The two men have been sent to one-day police custody.
Mumbai | Two youths - Mobeen Chand Mohammad Shaikh and Mohammad Naqeeb Sadrealam Ansari - arrested for allegedly molesting a Korean woman YouTuber during a live streaming. FIR registered by Khar Police pic.twitter.com/YdT1HRQc3p
— ANI (@ANI) December 1, 2022
Mumbai Police’s Khar Police station has taken a Suo Moto action in an incident that happened with a Korean woman (foreigner) in the jurisdiction of Khar West.
— मुंबई पोलीस - Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) December 1, 2022
In this regard, both the accused have been arrested and booked under relevant sections of the IPC.
#WomensSafety
In the video, one accused is seen trying to forcefully kiss the woman. When the woman walks away, he is seen coming up behind her again with a friend on a bike. He is also seen trying to force the woman to get on the bike.
@MumbaiPolice A streamer from Korea was harassed by these boys in Khar last night while she was live streaming in front of a 1000+ people. This is disgusting and some action needs to be taken against them. This cannot go unpunished. pic.twitter.com/WuUEzfxTju
— Aditya (@Beaver_R6) November 30, 2022
The YouTuber spoke about the harassment on Twitter, saying that she tried her best to not escalate the situation as the accused was with his friend.
Last night on stream, there was a guy who harassed me. I tried my best not to escalate the situation and leave because he was with his friend. And some people said that it was initiated by me being too friendly and engaging the conversation. Makes me think again about streaming. https://t.co/QQvXbOVp9F
— Mhyochi in 🇮🇳 (@mhyochi) November 30, 2022
She also claimed that some people said her "friendly" behaviour encouraged them to behave inappropriately. It's 2022 and it seems like we are still blaming the victim for the criminal behaviour of the accused.
Prompt action by Mumbai Police: Speaking to India Today, the Korean YouTuber who goes by the name Mhyochi online said that she appreciated the prompt action by Mumbai Police.
"This incident can happen anywhere in the world. I am travelling with my boyfriend. This is just an unfortunate incident. Lots of people trying to help me, including the people in India. I am sure it will not happen again. I don't want to frame it in a way that it's because you are solo traveller or that it's happening in India. Many people in India are trying to help me," said the vlogger.
Also in the news: In another city, a Rapido bike taxi driver and his accomplices raped a 23-year-old woman in Bengaluru. Police have arrested two men involved in the rape and asked Rapido to respond how it allowed a person with a dubious background to operate a bike taxi. The Rapido driver and his friend both had past criminal records.