Mumbai: Man arrested for abducting, raping 7-year-old girl in Ghatkopar

Shama allegedly assaulted the girl behind a school on Tuesday

A 35-year-old man from Asalpha was arrested on Wednesday on the charge of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl. It turned out that the man had been allowed to go home during the COVID pandemic to decongest prisons. Accused Sachin Shama faces five more cases for preying on young girls. His wife said her husband should be hanged for the heinous crimes that he has committed.

The Ghatkopar police arrested Shama after an inspector recognised him from his peculiar gait. Earlier, the policeman had arrested Shama from Bhiwandi. He had walked out of jail in December 2021. On Tuesday, a teacher of a school from Ghatkopar saw a girl crying on their premises. As she spoke to her, the girl said she had been sexually assaulted by a man. The teacher called up the police control room and shared the details.

"The girl had gone out to inquire about vada pav rates in her neighbourhood. That's when the accused saw her and asked ‘yahaan laal mitti kahan milegi' [where can I find red soil here]?. The girl knew the school premises were filled with red soil," said an officer from Ghatkopar police station. "While walking towards the school he took her to the rear side and sexually assaulted her," he said. "He [Shama] asked the girl to sit quietly saying he would bring some water for her. The girl then sat weeping in front of the school gate."

A teacher found the girl crying and called the police. Representation pic

The police formed 8 teams to track down the predator. CCTV footage showed a man walking with the girl. "In 2019, our team had managed to nab him [Shama] when he had done the same offence with a 9-year-old girl in Parshiwadi, near the police station. We remembered his walking style as well," said Pramod Kokate, inspector (crime) of Ghatkopar police.

The police said Shama was working as a driver in his brother's company at Bhiwandi. "When our team reached Bhiwandi on Wednesday, his brother said he had not come to work which further raised our suspicion," said the officer.

"The accused has confessed to his crime. We are questioning him at length to know whether he has committed such crimes elsewhere in the last 4 months," said Sanjay Dahake, senior inspector, Ghatkopar police station. "The accused was produced in court today [Thursday] and we have got his custody till May 5."

‘We're living in shame'

Shama's wife told mid-day, "We have a 12-year-daughter. We feel terrible whenever we go out as everyone knows about his deeds in the neighbourhood. He has done this five times already and every time he promises to not do it again. But he does this again. We are tired of him, he should be hanged,"

‘Charge sheet in 10 days'

"We will file the charge sheet in the next 10 days and will request to have this in a fast-track court. We will also make sure that he doesn't get bail till his conviction," said DCP (Zone 7) Prashant Kadam.

May 5
Day till when Sachin Shama will be in police custody

6
No. of cases Shama faces