Despite elaborate security arrangements to prevent a repeat of an ugly incident of molestation at the Gateway of India last New Year’s Eve, two women accompanied by two men were attacked around 1.45 am on Tuesday by a mob of 70 to 80 men near the J W Marriott hotel in Juhu.

The couples had just left the hotel and were walking on Juhu-Tara Road packed with thousands of revellers, when the mob pounced on them and molested the two women for close to 10 minutes, till a traffic police vehicle passing by was alerted.

While policemen temporarily dispersed the crowd, an offence was registered at the Juhu police station only on Wednesday afternoon. The case is against unknown persons, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Bombay Police Act for unlawful assembly, rioting, simple hurt, molestation, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, criminal restraint, and criminal intimidation.

Earlier, on Wednesday morning, Mumbai Police Commissioner D N Jadhav had this to say: “The media is blowing this incident out of proportion. Several incidents of molestation take place in the city every year.” He was referring to the outrage across the city following photographs of the incident published in the Hindustan Times.

“Have you left your mothers and sisters at home today?” Jadhav asked reporters next, when queried whether Mumbai remains a safe city for women.

Later, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K L Prasad said: “It is true that my commissioner said the media is blowing the issue out of proportion, but he does not mean that he is not concerned. Even he has a wife and daughter.” As many as 115 cases of molestation were registered in 2007 and 2006 each, he pointed out, while 119 cases were registered in 2005.

Prasad also defended the officers present at the spot and at Juhu police station. Asked why the culprits were not nabbed at that instant, Prasad said: “My men did an excellent job. The first priority was to rescue the couples, and see to it that no more harm was done… We will definitely nab the culprits. The face of one of the culprits is very clear in the photographs taken, and that is an important lead.”

On the delay in registering an FIR, Prasad said the two men accompanying the women were not willing to lodge an FIR. All four had consumed liquor and were “barely in a condition to walk properly” on stepping out of the hotel, Prasad added. Even after being rescued by Assistant Commissioner of Police Amarjeet Singh, the four did not want to go to the police station. “Singh pleaded with them to go to the police station to have a glass of water at least,” said Prasad.

At the police station, a constable lent his shirt to one woman, while one of the two male companions gave his shirt to the other. The two girls did not say anything; they were in a state of shock, Prasad said. One of the men, speaking with a heavy American accent, only insisted that they wanted to be dropped off at the hotel they were staying in. According to the police, the two couples live in California, US, and were in India on holiday. They are currently in Gujarat, from where they are expected to return to the US in around 10 days.

An autorickshaw driver known to the police dropped them at their hotel on Juhu Tara Road and was tipped Rs 500, according to Prasad. He added that the women’s clothes had not been ripped.

An offence was eventually registered on the basis of the statement given by photographer Satish Bate, one of the two who took photographs of the incident.