I can't believe he is roaming free while we live in fear. We didn't know a simple conversation would lead to so much trauma," said the mother of a 33-year-old SoBo gallerist about the man booked for stalking her daughter. He continues to harass them after his anticipatory bail was rejected. After sending lewd texts, obscene packages and demanding sexual favours, he even used the family's business email ID on July 28 to place online orders.

The Churchgate resident, who works as an art gallerist, first interacted with the alleged stalker, who has since been identified as Pradosh Naik, in October 2018. She was out on a walk with her dog at Marine Drive, when Naik stopped her to inquire about her pet. He also asked for the 33-year-old's name, which she disclosed. Two months after this meeting, in December 2018, the woman's nightmare began. Her mother told mid-day, "Sometime in December 2018, he called on our landline and asked for my daughter. Since he refused to reveal his name, I disconnected the call. We didn't think much about it."