Mulund woman dragged into bushes in attempted assault, man arrested

A 31-year-old man, Anil Ramcharan Karotia, has been arrested for allegedly stalking and attempting to sexually assault a college student in Mulund on August 6. The woman was dragged into roadside bushes near Vaishali Nagar Road but raised an alarm and called her mother, who rushed to the spot, causing the accused to flee.

The Mulund police registered a case under sections 74, 76, 79, 115(2) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Six investigation teams were formed, analysing nearly 120 hours of CCTV footage from 250 cameras. The accused, a resident of Wagle Estate in Thane who worked at an idli-dosa stall, was traced and detained on August 14 after he was spotted behaving suspiciously in the same area.

Police said Karotia had been repeatedly visiting the area and have appealed to other women who may have faced harassment from him to come forward, assuring confidentiality. The victim sustained injuries during the struggle.