Murthy may be re-arrested for sexual harassment

Mumbai: The Mumbai police is likely to re-arrest Mumbai-based Angel investor Mahesh Murthy again, after four more women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment on Sunday. The Mumbai police said that the re-arrest can be effected only after the claims and allegations of the women are verified. Murthy was earlier arrested on February 9, but was then let out on anticipatory bail within hours.

Deepak Deoraj, Mumbai police spokesperson and DCP (Operations) said, “Earlier, he (Murthy) was arrested on the basis of one complaint registered against him and let out on anticipatory bail. We were seeking to build a strong case and had asked other victims to come forward. Now that they have, we can take the probe forward. The allegations levelled by the victims will be however verified first, after which the appropriate action will be taken.”

The four women who have come forward with the allegations include a senior government officer.

A source in the DGP office said on the condition of anonymity, “In the complaints levelled against Murthy, the complainants have alleged that he had passed sexual remarks in the forms of text messages.”

In November 2017, a Delhi-based woman had written to the National Commission of Women (NCW) regarding the “use of objectionable, derogatory, sexual remarks and obscene signs on social media” allegedly sent by Murthy, who then forwarded the complaint to the Director General of Police (DGP), Maharashtra.

A case was registered against Murthy on December 30, 2017 at Khar police station.

Murthy was arrested on February 9, 2018 based on the lewd text messages he had sent to a woman on Whatsapp.