Navi Mumbai Hotel Chef Faces Charges for Molesting, Stalking Junior Colleague

In Navi Mumbai, the APMC Police have filed charges against a 36-year-old chef employed at a high-end Turbhe hotel for allegedly molesting and stalking a female colleague on Tuesday evening. The accused reportedly attempted to establish a connection with the victim by discussing personal issues with his own wife.

The 26-year-old victim and complainant was working in the bakery section of the hotel under the supervision of senior chefs including the accused. As per the complainant, the accused used to tell her personal issues with his wife and tried to get close with the victim emotionally. Despite warning from the victim, the accused kept harassing her, said police.

The accused, identified as Ravindra Kamat, allegedly engaged in inappropriate physical contact on multiple occasions. The victim reported these incidents to the hotel management, but due to a lack of CCTV footage, the management could not take immediate action, as mentioned in the FIR.

The accused purportedly threatened to harm the victim's career if she did not comply with his demands and even sought to discourage other co-workers from assisting her. The victim, who had joined the hotel as a pasty supervisor four months earlier, eventually sought help from a local political party unit after enduring prolonged harassment.

Upon learning of the molestation, members of the political outfit approached the police, leading to the registration of a case on Tuesday. The APMC police have charged the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty), 354D (stalking), and 506 (criminal intimidation), according to an official statement.