25 October,2023 10:26 PM IST | Mumbai | Anurag Kamble
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Mumbai's Navghar police have arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting women on their way to work during the early morning hours. The alleged perpetrator had assaulted a 39-year-old woman while she was travelling in an auto-rickshaw, and investigators, after reviewing over 300 CCTV footage, successfully tracked him down. During interrogation, it was revealed that he had molested another woman a few months ago, though she did not report the incident.
A 39-year-old woman visited the Navghar police station to report that an unknown individual had sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions. The first incident occurred on the 7th of October while she was travelling in an auto-rickshaw at 6 am; the assailant approached her on a motorcycle and molested her. When she cried out for help, the perpetrator fled. The second assault took place on the 18th of October while she was waiting for an auto-rickshaw.
"The woman had refrained from reporting the incidents to the police out of fear. However, after a couple of days, she mustered the courage to come to the police station and officially file a complaint against the unknown assailant," stated an official from the Navghar police station.
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Based on the complaint, a dedicated investigative team was assembled to track down the motorcycle-borne molester. The scrutiny of CCTV footage yielded crucial leads, resulting in the apprehension of the suspect from the Kopri area of Thane city.
The accused, identified as Surendra Vanjari (31) and a resident of Chandani Koliwada, Thane (W), is employed at a hotel in Thane. An official from the Navghar police explained, "During the interrogation, he also confessed to molesting another woman a few months ago. He deliberately targeted women commuting to work during the early hours, believing that they would be less likely to report the incidents due to their rush to the workplace."
