A youth associated with a food delivery service allegedly molested a postgraduate student and tried to drag her to his motorcycle while she was on her way to an ATM in Salt Lake on Saturday afternoon.

The student, who stays at a girls’ hostel in Salt Lake, mentioned in her complaint lodged with Bidhannagar North police station that the youth had “inappropriately touched” her while riding past her around 2pm.

No one was arrested till late on Sunday.

“There is an ATM near our hostel. As it had run out of cash, she was walking towards another ATM when the incident occurred,” said another student of the hostel.

The complainant has said a youth emerged from a narrow lane adjacent to the ATM closer to the hostel and inappropriately touched her from the front before speeding away.

“She has also alleged that the accused tried to pull her towards his bike. As she cried out, the biker sped off,” an officer said. Two labourers who were engaged to paint a building close by rushed to her rescue. By the time they reached the spot, the youth had fled.

“She was so shocked that she failed to notice the registration number of the bike,” said a student who accompanied the complainant to the police station.

A case under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) has been started based on the complaint. The maximum punishment under the section is two years’ jail.

The police said they are scanning CCTV footage to track down the accused.

Kunal Agarwal, deputy commissioner, headquarters, Bidhannagar City Police, refused to comment.