A 35-year-old man from Asalpha was arrested on Wednesday on the charge of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. It turned out that the man had been allowed to go home during the COVID pandemic to decongest prisons. Accused Sachin Shama faces five more cases for preying on young girls. His wife said her husband should be hanged for the heinous crimes that he has committed.

The Ghatkopar police arrested Shama after an inspector recognised him from his peculiar gait. Earlier, the policeman had arrested Shama from Bhiwandi. He had walked out of jail in December 2021. On Tuesday, a teacher of a school from Ghatkopar saw a girl crying on their premises. As she spoke to her, the girl said she had been sexually assaulted by a man. The teacher called up the police control room and shared the details.