Surat: A tense night unfolded in Surat’s Althan area after a minor Hindu girl from the Patidar community was allegedly molested by a man on her way home from tuition, triggering an angry reaction from the public that later surrounded the local police station and forced authorities to use force to restore order.

According to police, the incident occurred on Friday night around 8:30 p.m. near the Althan toll area, as the girl was returning from her coaching class at Althan Multi-Park Mall. A man identified as 35- to 40-year-old Sheikh Muhammad Aziz Imtiyaz allegedly approached her on a two-wheeler and harassed her. The minor immediately screamed, prompting locals to rush to the spot and apprehend the suspect on the spot.

By the time the 112 control-room vehicle arrived, an angry crowd had already thrashed the accused, continuing the assault even after he was pushed into the police van. The man was later shifted to Althan Police Station, where he was formally arrested and booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act.

Watch | One Sheikh Muhammad Aziz Imtiyaz was nabbed by Police after locals complained Sheikh harassed a minor Hindu girl who was returning from coaching classes in Althan area of Surat last evening. Mobs thrashed the accused briefly and also gathered outside Althan police… pic.twitter.com/gU1WZTuPLX

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) April 25, 2026

The news of the molestation quickly spread through social media and community groups, and by late evening, a crowd of hundreds of people had gathered outside Althan Police Station. The mob tried to storm the compound, demanding immediate and harsh punishment for the accused, which led to a standoff at the station gate.

Police officers, including senior officials from the City Police and Special Police Group (SPG), rushed to the site to contain the situation. When the crowd, led by the Patidar Community Outfit SPG (Sardar Patel Group), refused to disperse, police resorted to light baton charges and deployed tear-gas shells.

Witnesses reported that women were among those at the forefront of the protest, with some holding chhajias and chanting slogans, while others allegedly attacked police vehicles with slippers and stones. At one point, the swelling crowd blocked police vehicles, and officers were seen physically manhandling some women to clear the way.

By early Saturday morning, the situation at Althan Police Station had calmed, with police evacuating the accused through a back-route maneuver and gradually dispersing the crowd after repeated assurances of strict action. Senior officers, including Surat Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nidhi Thakur, told the media that the attacker was in custody, that the girl’s parents and tutor were present, and that a detailed investigation was underway.

Today, police are carrying out scene reconstruction at the alleged molestation site to establish a clear sequence of events. The department is also scrutinizing CCTV footage from the mall and surrounding roads and collecting statements from local residents and vendors.