Mumbai: Dog saves Vasai woman from rape by ‘7-ft’ monster

1. The suddent barking of the dog startled the alleged assailant, causing him to lose his grip on the woman. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

The barking of a stray dog caused a man who was threatening to rape a 32-year-old accountant to take to his heels around 1.30 am at Tungareshwar gully in Vasai on June 30, according to the police. The alleged assailant, Sandeep Khot, 35, who is nearly seven feet tall, approached the woman from behind under the cover of darkness, pushed her to the ground, covered her mouth and threatened to rape her, a police officer told mid-day.

However, according to the police, a stray dog in the vicinity began barking at the accused, startling the attacker and causing his grip to loosen. Seizing the opportunity, the woman managed to push the assailant away and ran towards the main road, successfully escaping further harm, though the accused escaped with her iPhone.

2. The accused ran away with the woman's iPhone after she kicked him and broke free of his grip. The device was later discarded into a drain, according to the police. Illustrations/Uday Mohite

The woman claimed she had reached Vasai station from Mumbai on the last train on the morning of the incident.

In her statement to the police, she said, "While I was walking through Tungareshwar lane and reached Zygote IVF Centre, a man between the ages of 25 to 30 began stalking me. All of a sudden, he appeared before me and said that he was going to rape me. He then tried to put his hand on my mouth to stop me from screaming and pinned me to the ground. He touched me inappropriately and put his hands in his trousers, making obscene gestures."

Sandeep Khot, the alleged assailant. Pic/Hanif Patel

According to the complainant's statement, a stray dog appeared from nowhere in the pitch-black lane and began barking. "He lost his grip. Taking advantage of the situation, I kicked the man, following which he lost his balance. He then snatched my iPhone and attempted to grab me again but I pushed him and ran towards Gurudwara Road before he could reach me," her statement read.

An officer from Manikpur police station said, "Tungareshwar gully is a shortcut to the main road. Due to it being late at night, the area was extremely deserted. The incident also happened during the India-South Africa final."

CCTV footage showing the woman grappling with her attacker. Pic/Hanif Patel

"We have registered the case under Sections 392, 354, 354(D) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code [the case was registered before the BNS came into effect] and have begun the investigation," said police inspector Raju Mane.

The investigation

A team led by PSI Harish Patil and others examined footage captured by a shop's CCTV camera, but due to the darkness, nothing much could be made out. "Finally, we traced the accused within 24 hours of the incident and arrested him," said Mane.

Khot, who hails from Nalasopara has a history of duping people while posing as a police officer in Dahisar, Kandivli and Nalasopara. He had recently been released from jail after serving three years in a cheating case.

"Khot used to reside with his wife and two children, but considering his activities, the family kicked him out of the house and he was residing in a dormitory in Vasai," said an officer.

The police tried to catch hold of the well-built accused and he put up a struggle, trying to grab hold of objects. But he was eventually subdued and taken into custody. "Khot produced before the court, where he was remanded in police custody," an officer said. According to the cops, Khot had thrown the iPhone in a drain.

A local social worker Dr Ashok Rajprohit said, "People have complained dozens of times to the local administration and the municipality, demanding the installation of lights and CCTV cameras, but no action has been taken till now. This incident is very sad. Did the administration wake up only after a major incident?"