Mumbai: A 50-year-old man has been booked for allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of helping her secure a job. The accused was identified as Joseph Xavier, who also runs an NGO.
In her complaint lodged with the Worli police station on May 17, the victim, 24, said that the incident took place on the night of May 16. She further said that she lives in Navi Mumbai and was hunting for a job. In the same regard, she had sought the help of her friend Zuber, who then shared Xavier's contact with her. Accordingly, the victim contacted the accused via WhatsApp.
On May 16 at 10 pm, Zuber called her, asking her to meet Xavier at the Khar station to discuss a job opportunity. Upon reaching the spot, she found that the accused was accompanied by Zuber and his friends. All of them went to a hotel where Joseph drank alcohol and offered it to the woman, which she consumed. They left by midnight and Zuber and his friends went home, while Xavier offered to drop the victim at Khar station on his scooter. However, he took her to a parking place and asked her to sit in a car. He started drinking again inside the vehicle. Later, he drove to Worli, parked his car in Study Galli at 3am and committed the raped her, said the victim, adding that he threatened her to keep silent about the incident.
He then hailed a taxi, asking the driver to take her home. Subsequently, she contacted another friend, who advised her to go to the nearest police station. With the help of the internet, she reached the NM Joshi police station. Since the incident occurred in Worli, the cops asked her to approach the Worli police, who took her complaint.
