Man booked for assault and harassment of a former female schoolmate in Ranip

Vadaj police have registered a case against a 25-year-old man for allegedly assaulting and threatening a woman who was his former schoolmate, after she refused his repeated advances and proposal for marriage.

According to the FIR filed by Bhumikaben Khatri, 26, an assistant manager, the accused, identified as Pawan alias Rahul Patil, intercepted her near Gokuldham Society under the Ranip Metro Station on the evening of October 21 while she was returning home from work.

Khatri, a resident of Sola, stated that Patil, who had studied with her in school, had been persistently harassing her through WhatsApp messages and phone calls, pressuring her to marry him. He often waited near her office and followed her on her way home. Khatri, scared, avoided filing a complaint earlier. 

On October 21, around 7 pm, Patil allegedly stopped her, insisting on talking to her. When she refused, he reportedly became abusive, grabbed her hand, and slapped her several times. Nearby residents gathered at the spot, prompting the accused to flee, but not before threatening to kill her.

The complainant called her father, Mahadevbhai Khatri, after the incident and later approached the police with her mother, Ashaben, to lodge a formal complaint.

Based on her statement, Vadaj police registered an FIR against Pawan alias Rahul Patil under Section assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty of the BNS. The Vadaj Police have started an investigation into the matter, and the search for the accused is on. 

Police said the accused had been harassing the complainant for several months and that further inquiries were underway to locate and detain him. “The accused is absconding but has been identified. His previous communications and call records are being verified,” a police officer said.