Courage and presence of mind shown by a 34-year-old woman helped the police nab her alleged stalker. Police said the accused, identified as Nitesh Kumar, 36, is an IT professional residing in Andheri. Their investigation was helped by pictures the woman took of Kumar.
Police said according to the woman’s complaint registered with Amboli police station, Kumar followed her home and even rang her doorbell. The woman, also an Andheri resident, lives with her two children. On Sunday, she had gone out with her children and a friend. When she was driving home around 1.30 a.m., she noticed a car following hers. She kept an eye on the car, which followed her all the way home, and took a couple of pictures of Kumar as well.
An officer at Amboli police station said, “Around 2 a.m., Kumar went up to the complainant’s flat and rang her doorbell. When she opened the door, he asked for a glass of water. Recognising him as the man who had followed her, she closed the door immediately.”
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The woman later posted on Facebook, saying, “In the last 10 years, I’ve always felt safe in Bombay, and in the same breath have always cursed Delhi! But last night showed me a different side to my ‘not so safe any more’ city! (sic).” She also related the incident in brief, along with the pictures she had taken. Her post was shared 142 times on Facebook. She approached the police on Monday and filed an FIR.
Senior PI Bharat Gaikwad, Amboli police station, said, “The pictures had captured the license plate of the suspect’s car, and we obtained its registration details from the Regional Transport Office. Based on this, we picked up Kumar from his residence and placed him under arrest on Tuesday.”
Kumar was charged with stalking under the IPC and remanded in police custody till Wednesday. On Tuesday, the woman posted again on Facebook: “Hats off Mumbai Police! He’s caught.”
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