Cops probe suspected rape at Juhu beach

The Santa Cruz police are investigating whether a middle-aged woman was sexually assaulted in the early hours of Saturday. The case came to light after locals found clothes strewn around in the bushes near the beach and later found the woman hiding in a naked state behind the bushes.

The incident occurred at around 8 am on Saturday when joggers and early-morning visitors to the beach came across clothes scattered around a thick clump of bushes.

“The passers-by looked around for the owner of the clothes and soon found the woman sitting behind the bushes. She did not have any clothes on and did not give a satisfactory reply when asked why she was hiding,” said Shantanu Pawar, senior police inspector, Santa Cruz police station.

The locals then took the woman to the police station where the officials asked her about it.

“She told us that she had come to the beach for a swim and after that she had put the clothes out to dry. And since she was naked she was hiding in the bushes till her clothes dried,” Mr Pawar said.

Sources said that the woman hails from Jharkhand and sweeps trains and railway stations to make some money.

“She even sleeps at the station and bathes at the public restroom at the station. But we don’t know why she came to the beach today,” said another police officer.