Mumbai crime: Popular salon stylist groped me, says actress

The alleged incidents occurred at the Oshiwara outlet of Lemon Salons. Pic/Satej Shinde

The Lokhandwala outlet of a well-known salon chain has come under fire after a 23-year-old actor filed a molestation complaint against its hairstylist. The woman has alleged that on May 16, Lemon Salon employee Sadiq Ansari, 24, groped her while giving her a head massage. However, sources from the salon said she made baseless allegations and then called her boyfriend and his brother to beat up the accused.

The alleged incidents occurred at the salon on May 16. "I had gone to Lemon salon in Lokhandwala market at 7.30pm on May 16 for getting a hair spa treatment. Hairstylist Sadiq put a black apron on me and started the spa treatment on my hair. After that, he began giving me a head massage. While doing so, he slipped his hands down to my waist and groped me. When I screamed, he said 'sorry madam'," the actor said in the FIR registered at Oshiwara police station on May 20, under section 354 (A) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.

The salon has alleged that the actor's boyfriend and brother assaulted the stylist and molested a staffer

She added, "I immediately complained to a female manager. Meanwhile, two unknown men entered the salon and started to beat up Sadiq. I got scared as a mob started to gather outside the salon, so I caught an autorickshaw and went home." The actor is from Delhi and has been living in Mumbai for the past four years with her mother.

'Made baseless allegations'
When mid-day visited the salon, its owner Faisal Deshmukh refused to comment on the issue as the matter is sub-judice. However, sources at the salon had a different version of events. They alleged that the actor first made baseless allegations against Sadiq and then called her boyfriend Abhimanyu Chaudhary and his brother Anurag to the salon.

"The duo was armed with a sharp-edged weapon. They caught Sadiq by his collar, dragged him outside the salon, pinned him down and booted him on the road. They also knifed Sadiq," said a Lemon staffer who witnessed the incident.

The two brothers have been captured on CCTV assaulting the hairstylist

Meanwhile, another staffer called the police and a team from Oshiwara police station reached the spot and collected a 'bloodstained' knife from there. An FIR was registered against the men who beat up Sadiq. In his complaint, Sadiq alleged both men thrashed him and other staff members who jumped to rescue him. "One female staffer of Lemon was also molested by a man in a blue T-shirt," Sadiq said in the FIR registered under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) , 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 34 (common intention) of IPC against the duo.

Cops also recovered a 'bloodstained' knife from the spot

'Didn't go underground'
The source from Lemon salon added, "After the melee, the actress and the men ran away. We filed a case on the day of the incident, whereas the actress went underground and registered the case four days later." The actress told mid-day that she had not gone underground, "I was in Chandigarh for some important work. I registered the case soon after returning to Mumbai."

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The source added, "We have 10 salons from Bandra to Mira Road. This one had been recently opened. All of our customers are high-profile, mostly from the TV and film industry. The actress visited our Lokhandwala salon for the first time and created nuisance. We suggested her to approach police station if she has been molested but she chose to create nuisance here. She registered the case against Sadiq after police started searching for two of her male friends who molested our female staffer and thrashed Sadiq."

Brothers held
Acting on the salon's complaint, the Oshiwara police have arrested the Chaudhary brothers and produced them before court. "The brothers have been sent to judicial remand. We are investigating the actress's FIR," said Shailesh Pasalwad, senior inspector, Oshiwara police station.

The investigators have taken CCTV footage of the salon. Sadiq, who has been admitted to a private hospital, has not been arrested yet. Sources at police station said, "Sadiq will be arrested once he is discharged from the hospital."

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Man arrested for molesting college student in Dadar

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