Mumbai Crime: Woman assaulted in quarantine centre in Panvel

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The Panvel Taluka police have booked a 25-year-old man for sexually assaulting a 40-year-old woman in a quarantine centre. They were quarantined by the Panvel Municipal Corporation as their family members tested positive.

According to the complaint filed by the survivor, she was taken to the quarantine centre, a 15-storey building on the outskirts of Panvel, a week ago. "About five days back, the man had gone to deliver food to his brother, quarantined on the fifth floor. He had knocked on the door of the wrong flat and found the woman quarantined alone," said an officer from Panvel Taluka police station.

Two days ago, the accused was quarantined by the corporation and kept on the second floor of the building. On Thursday around 6 pm, he went to the woman's flat and knocked on the door. When she questioned his arrival, he asked whether she had any health issues. "When he saw there was no one else inside the flat, he entered forcefully and locked the door. Then he forced himself on her. She screamed for help and alerted the other quarantined patients who helped catch him," said the officer.

"We have booked the man under IPC sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 376 (rape). Since his rapid antigen test has come positive, he is still in quarantine," said Panvel Taluka police station's Senior Inspector Ashok Rajput. Police said he will be arrested after he is released from quarantine.

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