A disturbing video has surfaced on social media depicting a physical altercation between three teenage girls and a young salesman at a petrol pump in Garden Town, Lahore.

The incident, captured on CCTV, shows the girls assaulting the salesman amidst a heated verbal exchange over alleged harassment.

According to reports, the confrontation escalated when the girls, purportedly from affluent backgrounds, accused the salesman of harassment. The CCTV footage captures the girls physically assaulting the young man, with attempts by an elderly bystander to intervene visible but ultimately unsuccessful.

Garden town Lahore: Three girls badly beaten up a young salesman accusing him of harassing them. Shop owner releases the footage of incident... pic.twitter.com/ILBRAAgRan
— Yousaf Khan (@YousafK53695321) July 9, 2024

In a swift development, the Lahore Police registered an FIR based on the complaint of harassment filed by the girls' influential father. Subsequently, the young salesman was arrested, triggering a wave of criticism and condemnation on social media platforms.

Responding to the public outcry, Lahore Police clarified on Twitter that following a review of the video evidence, the young man has been acquitted of the charges. However, they underscored that any future applications by the parties involved would be duly considered and acted upon.

The incident has garnered attention from Pakistani celebrities, with figures like Ahsan Khan expressing curiosity and others such as Haroon Shahid and Sanam Jung unequivocally condemning the violence captured in the footage.

Social media reactions have been mixed, with some calling for better training of salesmen in customer service etiquette, while others critique what they perceive as an abuse of privilege by the girls. Many online voices have voiced support for the salesman, highlighting concerns over the misuse of harassment allegations in public spaces.