Unwanted love: Banker’s 'I love you' message turns into harassment

Screenshot of the message the woman sent from the complainant’s phone

A 23-year-old female bank employee of a multinational bank allegedly sent an 'I love you' message to a 25-year-old man using a customer's mobile phone. The incident occurred when a 48-year-old driver, holding an account in a multinational bank located in Malad's Orlem branch, visited the bank to address a complaint regarding a transaction made on his credit card on Monday afternoon. He was directed to a woman employee at the bank counter. She took his mobile phone to help him with the problem and later she returned the phone asserting that the issue had been resolved.

Shortly after he left the bank, the complainant received a call from an unknown number. The caller inquired about the message, and the complainant checked his phone but did not find any such message. The caller then sent him a screenshot of the message.

"I informed the caller that I hadn't sent any such message and clarified that I had visited the bank, and handed my phone to the female bank employee to address an issue. However, the caller inquired about the bank's name, branch, and the female employee's name. After I gave him the information the caller promptly identified the female employee and disclosed her one-sided affection for him, expressing that she had messaged him over the past year and conveyed a desire to meet. Despite my efforts to block her number, she continued to contact me using alternate phone numbers," said the complainant, who preferred to remain anonymous.

"I questioned why she had sent the message from my phone. She started abusing me and threatened me with a police complaint. I complained to the bank manager. She eventually confessed to her wrongdoing," he added.

Seeing no signs of remorse, the complainant decided to approach the cops. "Accompanied by the individual to whom she had sent the message, we proceeded to the police station to file complaints against her for harassment," he added.

Speaking with mid-day, the 25-year-old whom the banker had sent a message said, "Around a year ago, I met this woman through a mutual acquaintance. After that, she began messaging me. I outright rejected her advances and blocked her number, yet she continued to message me using the phones of my acquaintances and others. This took a toll on my mental well-being, plunging me into a state of despair where I contemplated suicide."

"We have registered a non-cognisable offence under Sections 504 and 506 of the IPC against the woman and also reached out to the bank to take appropriate departmental action against her," said an officer from Malad police station.