Mumbai: Security guard accused of demanding sexual favours at knife point

The victim remained calm throughout the attack, say cops. Representation pic

The Malvani police are investigating an assault on a 38-year-old woman who was attacked with a knife after rejecting a sexual advance. Authorities reported that the suspect works as a caretaker at a production house bungalow adjacent to the victim's residence. The victim, a businesswoman, lives in a rented bungalow at Madh Island and is an animal lover, having over 70 cats in her home.

"The woman feeds and cares for the cats daily, spending the entire day with them. Meanwhile, the accused, Prakash, lives in the neighboring bungalow, which is a film production house. He is officially employed as a watchman and caretaker for the production facility."

The incident took place between 1 to 2 am on July 15. "The accused used to frequently stare at the victim from the bungalow. On July 15 the accused approached the victim, stating that few of the cats had come to his bungalow and asked her to come collect them. The victim assured him that she would come to get the cats. When she didn't arrive, he approached her again. Eventually, she came to his place to collect the cats. As she entered the room, the accused seized the opportunity to enter behind her, grabbing her from behind and threatening her with a knife placed on her neck. The accused then tried to sexually assault her," said a police officer.

"The victim remained calm and tried to reason with the accused. She asked if it was the right thing to do. After hearing this the accused released her. As soon as she was released she ran to her escape. The accused then felt rejected and in a fit of rage attacked her with a knife on her neck and stomach. The accused again demanded a sexual favour. The woman managed to hold him off and said she would complain to the cops. The accused got scared and ran from the spot," said the police officer.

A case was registered at the Malvani police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nayaya Sanhita 2023 and the police are currently further investigating the matter. "The accused is yet to be arrested and teams have been formed to trace him. A team has already left for Bihar to trace the accused who is suspected to have fled to his hometown," the police officer added.