A 32-year-old security guard was arrested by the Mumbai Police on Friday afternoon for allegedly raping a 25-year-old resident of the building he guarded, the police said.
According to the police, the victim was dropped by her friends outside a plush society in Powai in Central Mumbai around 2.30 a.m. on Friday morning after a late-night party. Two security guards, including the accused, are believed to have seen the victim alighting from the vehicle in an inebriated state.
The accused, identified as Pramod Upadhyay, followed the victim on the pretext of helping her reach her flat on the third floor. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her in the floor’s lobby. The victim was found lying on the floor by her brother in the early hours of Friday. The family took her to a nearby hospital and a complaint was lodged with the local police.
The preliminary medical examination has confirmed that the girl sustained injuries on her private parts, indicating rape under the newly amended provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The accused, who hails from Bihar, was appointed as a security guard in July last year. He was nabbed as he was inconsistent with his statement when questioned. During the course of the interrogation, he confessed to the crime, police said.
He has been booked for rape and robbery. The victim’s mobile phone and her handbag were missing, the police said.
Speaking to the press on Friday night, Commissioner of Police Satyapal Singh reiterated that Mumbai was still the safest city. “We can patrol the streets, not individual buildings or homes,” Mr. Singh said.
