Mumbai Crime: Choreographer held for molesting 12-year-old at NYE bash

A 29-year-old film choreographer and dancer has been arrested by Juhu police for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old girl in a Juhu-based five-star hotel during a new year's eve celebration. The entire incident was recorded by the hotel's CCTV cameras. The police said the accused had touched the girl's chest inappropriately and she informed her parents about this.

The accused, Jayprakash Shyamal Malhotra, has been working in the film industry for the past five years. The girl, a Class 8 student, resides in Dubai and had come to India with her parents on December 28 to ring in the new year.

The minor's father is in the gold industry while her mother's family resides in Mumbai. According to the police, the family reached the hotel at night and around 10 pm, the girl entered the ballroom. The family then had dinner and took part in the festivities.

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A police officer said, "Around 3.30 am, the girl's parents entered the lobby where they waited for the children who were in the ballroom. A little while later, the girl came out crying. She informed her parents that a man had touched her chest. Someone happened to see the incident and tried to catch the accused who by then attempted to flee. Meanwhile, the parents immediately informed the police and they stopped the accused at the main gate of the hotel."

Senior inspector Ajit Vartak of the Juhu police station said, "We have arrested the accused. We also obtained footage from the hotel's CCTV cameras and are checking it. The accused was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO)."

3.30am
Time on Jan 1 when incident occurred