Auto driver flashes woman, held

Mumbai: An auto-rickshaw driver was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly flashing a woman (30) on September 1. The incident occurred late at night near Chincholi bunder bus stop on New Link Road when the 30-year-old was returning home from work. The unit XI of Mumbai crime branch said that the accused, who is a habitual offender, had targeted several women similarly in the past.

A team of officials headed by senior inspector Chimaji Adhav, apprehended the accused, identified as Mohammad Shakil Kadar Memon (32).

Memon, a resident of Malvani in Malad, solicited the woman to hire his rickshaw. The woman found him suspicious and hence refused to board,  soon after which he flashed her at around 1.30 pm.

“While the woman tried to click a picture of the auto driver, he fled from the spot. She immediately informed her mother, who rushed to the spot for her help,” said an officer of unit XI of crime branch.

The victim and her mother lodged a complaint at Bangur Nagar police station. The officials began looking for the driver resembling to the description given by the woman and scanned the CCTV camera footage of the spot at the said time.

The officials succeeded in tracking down the accused in Malvani area in Malad and after due verification placed him under arrest. The police have learnt that there are several cases of assault and molestation registered against him.

The Bangur Nagar police registered a case under section 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code against the accused.

Similary, on July 31, the Kandivali police arrested an auto-rickshaw driver for allegedly masturbating while staring at a woman passenger. The incident came to light after the
victim’s friend tweeted about her ordeal and tagged the Mumbai police.