Man arrested for playing lewd video, molesting woman in share autorickshaw in Mumbai

The man, Dharmendra Mistry from Virar, was granted bail on a surety of Rs10,000.

A 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly watching an obscene video on his phone and inappropriately touching a 24-year-old woman in a share autorickhsaw in Andheri on Wednesday, when Mumbai was brought to a standstill by protesters. She alerted a patrolling police team and got him arrested.

The man, Dharmendra Mistry from Virar, was granted bail on a surety of Rs10,000.

According to the Andheri police, the woman, a resident of Santacruz, had reached Andheri by train. As Metro services were disrupted owing to the protests and bandh, she took a share rickshaw.

Seeing a mob in Andheri (east) ahead of JB Nagar, the rickshaw driver took another route.

After some time, Mistry seated next to her in the rickshaw began watching a YouTube video which had sexually explicit content. The woman said Mistry had positioned the mobile in such a way that she could see the video. He also inappropriately touched the woman with his hand and legs.

The woman then raised an alarm and a local patrolling police from Sahar police station caught him. His mobile phone was seized. He was handed over to Andheri police station.

The mobile phone will be sent to the forensic lab.

Mistry has been arrested under section 292 (obscenity in public place) and 354 (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code. An official said, “A magistrate’s court granted him bail on a surety of Rs 10,000 on Thursday.”