Two arrested for groping 17-year-old college student

Mumbai: The Kherwadi police has arrested two persons in connection with an incident where a 17-year-old college student was groped by bike-borne persons on July 7. The officials identified the accused persons with the help of CCTV camera footage.

The accused have been identified as Umesh Chavan (24), a resident of Dnyneshwar Nagar in Bandra east, and Sunil Rathod (19), a resident of Vakola. Upon investigation, the police learnt that Chavan, who was riding pillion on the two-wheeler, groped the girl while she was returning home with a friend. Both the accused are students.

The police said that the incident took place at around 3 pm near the collector’s office in Bandra east, when the duo spotted the girl with her friends. They came close to her and Chavan touched her inappropriately while the bike was in motion, after which they fled.

Thereafter, Rathod rode the bike. Meanwhile, the victim sat crying on the road divider and was spotted by passersby, one of who alerted the police. The victim informed the police that the biker was clad in a blue shirt and based on this, the search operation began, said officials.

Rajendra Patil, senior inspector, Kherwadi police station, said, “We formed three teams to investigate the case. As many as 40 persons were interrogated, based on eye-witness accounts. The CCTV footages were also checked and visitors booked in nearby buildings were scanned.”

It was then that officer Sohan Kadam and his team got a clue based on the footage and they tracked down the duo. Both accused are students, officials said. They have been booked under sections 354 (molestation), 34 (acts of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act.