Bulldozer Action On Maharashtra Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 180 Minors

A JCB rolled out outside the house of a Maharashtra man accused of assaulting 180 minors and took down illegal portions of the one-storey home. Mohammad Ayaz, alias Tanveer, a resident of Paratwada city in the Amravati district, is charged with sexual assault, sexual harassment and recording obscene videos.

In videos from the ground, a JCB is seen demolishing an iron staircase constructed outside the house to access the first floor. A team from the Achalpur Municipal Council carried out the operation against the illegal structure at the accused's residence.

BJP MLA Pravin Tayade was present to oversee the administration's action.

The municipal corporation had reportedly already issued a notice to Ayaz's family regarding the encroachment. A heavy police force has been deployed outside the premises.

All About Maharashtra Sexual Assault Case

The police on Saturday (April 11) arrested 19-year-old Mohammad Ayaz for allegedly luring girls into a "love trap," taking them to Mumbai and Pune, and filming 350 obscene videos.

The videos were then allegedly used to blackmail the girls and force them into prostitution. Some pictures and videos featuring Ayaz went viral on social media, leading to his arrest, according to a report by the news agency PTI. A complaint by a BJP MP also prompted police action.

The minors were systematically targeted through WhatsApp and Snapchat groups, according to a memorandum submitted by Rajya Sabha MP Anil Bonde to the Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vishal Anand.

Ayaz Is An Ex-Associate Of AIMIM

Mohammad Ayaz had allegedly served as an office-bearer of the AIMIM earlier. In videos and photographs shared by him on his social media, he appears to be receiving a letter from the MIM's Amravati president, Haji Irfan Khan, and recording social media reels at the party's rallies. Several such videos were deleted from his account after the case came to the fore.

AIMIM has distanced itself from the accused. Sayyed Mujeeb, District President of AIMIM in Amravati categorically said that "Mohammed Ayaz has no affiliation with the party."

"During the Achalpur Gram Panchayat elections, he was entrusted with the responsibility of managing the party's social media accounts. However, as he failed to perform his duties effectively, we issued a formal letter and expelled him from the party immediately after the elections concluded. The accused is neither a party worker nor an office-bearer of the AIMIM," Mujeeb said.

Police Action So Far

Police on Tuesday (April 14) arrested Ayaz and produced him before a court. He was remanded to seven days of police custody.

Police have arrested three more suspects, including one Uzer Khan. Ayaz and Uzer have confessed to their crimes.

The police have also seized Ayaz's mobile phone and are examining it for evidence. The investigators are also probing whether the accused shared those videos within his circle. 

(With inputs from Sanjay Tiwari)