25-year-old drunk man arrested from Bandra for molestation

MUMBAI: Police arrested a 25-year-old man for molesting a woman in an auto rickshaw in Bandra; incident went viral, prompting action.

MUMBAI: The police on Sunday arrested a 25-year-old man who allegedly molested a woman inside an auto rickshaw in Bandra (West) on Sunday. A video of the incident went viral on X, prompting the police to track the man.

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The accused, who lives near Bandstand, was inebriated that evening and roaming in the area. Around 7pm on Sunday, the victim had hailed an auto to reach home. When they stopped at a traffic signal near the Lucky Junction, he approached her, asking for food but she ignored him. He then became aggressive and began grabbing her, said a police officer.

The viral video, recorded and posted on X by the victim, shows the accused shirtless, making inappropriate remarks about her short dress. He went on to spit on her, saying that this is India, and so he can do whatever he wants. After this, the accused was seen shouting incoherently and spitting on the road.

“As soon as we found the video, we contacted the concerned woman. As she was scared, she refused to lodge a complaint,” said senior inspector Sanjay Marathe. He added that the accused was notorious and likely to repeat the crime.

“After going through the CCTV footage from the spot, we arrested the accused from Chimbai area in Bandra,’ Marathe said. The accused was booked under 75 (2) (sexual harassment), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 351 (criminal intimidation).