Dindoshi Police arrested a 30-year-old serial molester who has over nine cases of molestation and stalking registered against him across city police stations. The accused was apprehended acting on a complaint of a 24-year-old woman who had stalked and molested her in a market area. The accused, identified as Kalpesh Devdhare, 30, has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
According to police sources, the complainant was on her way to the market near Jitendra Road in Malad (E) on December 11, when an unknown person, later identified as Devdhare, began following her on a motorcycle. After a while, Devdhare tried to talk to the woman, but the latter did not reciprocate his feelings and refused to talk.
Police said that when the 24-year-old complainant was on her way back home, Devdhare followed her again and made another attempt to talk to her, after which he hugged the woman without her permission, thereby molesting her. The woman ran away and then approached Dindoshi Police, where she lodged a complaint against the molester.
Dindoshi Police registered a First Information Report and booked the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for molestation (section 354), stalking (section 354d) and word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman (section 509). Police scrutinised the CCTV camera footage of the area where the incident had occurred and checked the past criminal records, wherein they identified the accused as Devdhare.
Acting on this Information, police laid a trap near Dahanukarwadi in Kandivali (W) and apprehended Devdhare on Tuesday. Police said, his criminal record states that he is a serial molester and has 12 cases registred against him, of which nine are for molestation, while others include extortion and kidnapping. Police are still ascertaining if Devdhare had committed similar offences in other areas or cities.
