Mumbai boutique worker gropes woman while taking measurements for dress

After she entered the boutique, she liked a dress and then approached Chaudhary asking him if the dress can be altered.

A 32-year-old man, who works in a women’s boutique, was arrested for molesting a 19-year-old woman. The police said the accused groped the victim from behind when she was at the boutique after she asked that the size of her dress be reduced.

The incident took place last week when accused Sufiyan Chaudhary, a resident of Saki Naka in Andheri, was the only person at the boutique when the woman came in.

An officer from Bandra police station said, “Chaudhary has been working in the boutique for the past 10 years. Last week, at the time of the incident, the woman and the salesman were the only ones at the store.”

After she entered the boutique, she liked a dress and then approached Chaudhary asking him if the dress can be altered. “Usually there are two salesmen working at a time. But on that day, the accused was working alone as his colleague was on leave. She wore the dress and when she started explaining to him how she wanted it altered, he groped her and wasn’t ready to leave her,” said an officer.

Soon after the incident, the woman called up her friends, who arrived at the spot and confronted Chaudhary. They then reported the matter to Bandra police station and a complaint was registered.

A police team was then dispatched and Chaudhary was nabbed the same evening. He has been booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.