The arrest of an autorickshaw driver in connection with an alleged molestation triggered a road blockade in south Calcutta that continued for around one-and-a-half hours and led to an attack on a police vehicle on Monday evening.

The accused — Sheikh Absar, also known as Manoj — had allegedly outraged the modesty of a woman and heckled her husband in front of South City Mall on March 18 after they had protested when he refused to go on hire.

Around 150 auto drivers and some leaders of the auto union blocked the crossing of Deshapran Sashmal Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road from 6.30pm to 7.50pm to protest the arrest. The auto service on the Jadavpur-Taratala route was suspended because of the blockade, leaving thousands of rush-hour commuters inconvenienced.

Sources said soon after a team from Lake police station approached Manoj on Prince Anwar Shah Road around 6pm, a number of auto drivers led by a union leader allegedly tried to resist the cops and snatch the accused.

“When they failed, the drivers hurled stones at the police vehicle and damaged the windscreen,” an officer said.

Based on the woman’s complaint against an “unknown person”, officers at the police station had started a case under sections related to outrage of modesty, grievous hurt, criminal intimidation and outraging the modesty of a woman using lewd words and gestures.

“CCTV footage from the area and the footage captured by the body camera of a traffic sergeant helped us identify the accused,” the officer said.

If convicted, Manoj can be sent to jail for up to five years.

Sources said that in a case related to outrage of modesty, the police would have to submit a prayer in court seeking permission for conducting a test identification parade of the accused. During the parade, the complainant is asked to identify the accused from among six or nine people of similar height and build.

“In cases of crime against women, the result of the test identification parade is a vital piece of evidence,” a senior lawyer said.

Subhasish Chakrabarty, Trinamul Rajya Sabha member and head of the auto union in south Calcutta, said: “The police have done the right thing by cracking the whip. Unruly behaviour by auto operators will not be tolerated. Membership of the union does not give a driver the right to be a rowdy.”