By MC Abbas

MC Abbas had just wrapped up an event at a five-star on Residency Road on Dec 31 night; along with two bouncers, he rescued the group of youngsters


MC Abbas at the spot where the gang of molesters were closing in on the group of girls and boys on New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve, I was hosting my Limited Edition Event at a hotel on Residency Road [adjoining Brigade Road junction]. The event got over around midnight. I came out of the hotel to get into my car and go home but as I was walking out of the hotel, I heard women’s screams and saw them running with their high heels in their hand, from Brigade Road junction towards Mayo Hall. I came out of the gate and saw a huge commotion outside. A group of 25-30 men were trying to surround five girls and three boys. The hooligans were calling them names and talking to them disrespectfully. Some of them seemed drunk. I immediately went inside the hotel gate and called the two bouncers who came to escort me till my car. Three of us came back to the spot (in front of Hotel Park) to help the women, who looked frightened.

I raised my voice, warned some of them. When the bouncers and I told them that we would call the cops, they just kept staring at us. They were silent. It seemed as if it never occurred to them that they would be stopped by anyone.

As they stood still, wondering what to do, the bouncers kept them under surveillance and I escorted the girls and the guys. The group we rescued just wanted to go home. I told them that I would book a cab and send them home. They told me that they have already booked a cab and it is waiting near Mayo Hall.

While we handled the hooligans, the group ran towards their cab and fled the scene. I wondered what would have happened to them had we not intervened. There were no cops on that entire stretch. People who were around just kept watching the girls as the men called them names.

There were thousands of onlookers who did nothing to help the women. If it was their mother, sister or a friend in such a situation, would they have not stepped forward to help them? This could happen to anyone. Bravery is action in the face of fear. I’m not a Superman or a hero to beat up those 25-30 guys. Anything could have happened to me, but I took a step and was able to make a difference. If we can think this way, we certainly can put an end to a lot of crime committed against women.

Also, the crowd gathering on Brigade Road on New Year’s Eve should be banned forever. Safety of women should be priority and the police should make sure that they are well-trained and well-equipped to deal with such situations.

AYUB KHAN, BOUNCER
(One of the two who helped Abbas)

When Abbas called us out, we saw about 30 men, all dressed in black leather jacket. They seemed drunk and were calling the women names and trying to surround them. A few were threatening the boys, asking them to leave the women and go, but the boys were adamant and stayed back. We immediately went to rescue and raised our voices at the hooligans. They gathered together and left the group on their own. The group was taken care of by Abbas, while the other bouncer and I threatened the hooligans and kept them away. They kept staring at us because they did not know what to do and we were in uniform; they decided to back off. They did not leave the place for a long time. We stood there and made sure that they did not follow the girls.
It would have been a tragedy had we not reached out on time. There were no policemen and the hooligans didn’t seem afraid of anybody. Such incidents are wrecking Bengaluru’s harmony. Police should be extra careful about such situations. — As told to Mirror