Man arrested over obscene messages to woman colleague in Mumbai

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police have arrested a private company employee, Ashraf, over sexual harassment and stalking allegations, for allegedly sending obscene messages to a woman colleague.

According to a senior Mumbai Police official, the victim in this case works as a third-party tele-caller for a corporate. The accused also works at the same company. An FIR was filed on Thursday under Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 78(2) (stalking), 79 (insulting modesty of a woman) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000.

According to the victim’s statement, the accused not only messaged her multiple times soliciting sexual relations but also sent obscene images while using derogatory language regarding her female colleagues. The harassment began on April 21, when the accused retrieved her number and allegedly began sending obscene messages and making voice calls to the complainant, as per the FIR. He also allegedly demanded sexual favours. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

Earlier in a separate case in TCS Nashik, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took custody of two accused, Safi Shaikh and Raza Memon, in the alleged forced conversion and harassment case. A fact-finding committee has been formed for the inquiry.

In a recent development, a Nashik court has denied interim protection to Nida Khan, an accused in the Nashik case, deferring the hearing on her anticipatory bail plea to April 27. Her counsel had moved an application seeking interim protection pending the hearing of her anticipatory bail plea.

Meanwhile, the court granted the complainant’s legal team time to submit a written response, stalling immediate relief. The court will now hear both the anticipatory bail application and the interim relief plea on April 27.

Advocate Milind Kurkute, representing Nida Khan, said, “Till today, there is no interim relief given. We have appeared in the matter of the original victim, that is, the complainant. We are requesting that our written say be placed on record. We must be permitted to do opportunity to file our say. The court has allowed us to file our written say. Matter is kept on April 27 for the say of the original victim complainant as well as the say of the investigation machinery, and then the court will hear both the parties.” (ANI)