Cops arrest man who harassed residents by 'ringing doorbells', fleeing

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The Mumbai Police recently arrested a 37-year-old man for ringing doorbells at residential buildings and then fleeing the spot. Police said the incidents took place in the eastern suburbs and the accused's intention was to disturb people while they were asleep, a report in Indian Express read.

Police said after the accused's arrest, four more people approached them with similar complaints.

The accused, Prem Lalsingh Nepali, told police that he was troubling the residents of Kanjurmarg and he did so under the influence of alcohol. Police said he was arrested after he rang the doorbell of a jeweller on Sunday. The jeweller Rakesh

Mehta resides on the first floor of Om Shree Akashdeep co-operative society in Kanjurmarg.

The report said the accused entered the building around 2am on Sunday. "He then rang the doorbell and tried to flee, but was caught by other residents of the building," a police officer from

Kanjurmarg police station was quoted as saying in the report.

He said when the complainant confronted him, the accused began abusing them after which, they contacted the police.

The accused was then taken to the police station and based on Mehta's statement, the Kanjurmarg police registered a case under sections 448 (punishment for house-trespass), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, the report said.

Police said during interrogation, they found there was another complaint in September 2018. "As a warning, we had registered a non-cognizable offence against him, but this time as the complainant and other residents were reluctant to drop the matter, a case was registered," a police officer was quoted as saying.

When the police visited the locality, more people came forward and said the accused had rung their doorbell on multiple occasions. Police said as it was a small issue, people did not file complaints.

The police sent the accused for medical examination and reports confirmed that he was under the influence of alcohol. They said Nepali, a resident of Chembur, works as a waiter at a hotel in the same area.

Senior Inspector Sharad Ovhal of Kanjurmarg police station was quoted in the report saying, "We are trying to get more witnesses in the case as we have learned that he rang the doorbell of many residents and fled." Nepali was produced in a court on Sunday and was remanded to judicial custody.

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