The MIDC Police on Saturday arrested a stock broker and trader for allegedly molesting a 25-year-old model after offering to get her a role in Bollywood movies.
According to the MIDC police, they learned about the incident when the victim called the main control room on Friday evening.
“The control room got a call from the victim, who narrated her ordeal and how she escaped from the spot. The control room relayed the information to us, and we sent a team to meet the victim immediately,” said an officer with the MIDC police station.
The victim told the police that the crime had been committed at a hotel in Andheri, where the accused, Jignesh Mehta, 48, had tried to force himself on her. Mehta was picked up from his hotel room and both were taken to the police station for further inquiries.
“As per the victim, she first met Mehta at a restaurant in Chembur, where he befriended her under the pretext of offering her a role in movies and also helping her with contacts of prominent people in the industry. On Friday, Mehta invited her to his hotel room for dinner and then started forcing himself on her,” said the officer.
According to the statement given by the victim, Mehta asked her to ‘compromise’ as that is the only way to ‘survive’ in the industry. Mehta then tried to sexually assault the victim after which she screamed for help and escaped from the room. She then called the police control room, with the help of the hotel staff.
The police have charged Mehta with assault, use of criminal force to outrage the modesty of a woman, and criminal intimidation under sections 354, 354 (B), and 506 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
