Three people, including a senior citizen who owns a bungalow and several shops, have been arrested for allegedly threatening and sexually assaulting ex-Congress corporator Sweta Korgaonkar when she objected to their 'illegal' water connections. The trio was identified as Bhagyawant Late, 62, Yashodhan Late, 28, and Makarand Bargaje, 35. It has been alleged that the police was initially reluctant to take action and made the arrest after succumbing to the pressure of locals.
Details of case
The sexagenarian owns 'Ektayan' bungalow and several shops in the Gorai 2 area of Borivali. According to the police report, the BMC's road department had initiated cement concrete road work on Pancharatna Mitra Mandal Gali in Gorai-2. During the excavation, locals apparently discovered four illegal water connections going to 'Ekayatan'. Korgaonkar, 31, was informed about the water theft, prompting her to file a complaint with the public works department. When the officials took 'symbolic' action, the accused confronted locals. Subsequently, Korgaonkar approached the BMC and got the connections snapped.
However, locals said that they discovered that the civic body again tacitly provided illegal supply to 'Ekayatan'. They approached Korgaonkar, who visited the site along with her husband Shrikant Parab and the BMC officers on February 10. While she showed the connections, the accused abused her and even molested her while giving her threats, said the complaint.
Based on Korgaonkar's grievance, the Borivali police has booked the trio under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 504 (breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). They were arrested on Saturday.
