Mumbai Crime: 20-Year-Old Arrested for Molesting Minor Girl in Vile Parle After 10-Day Manhunt

The Santacruz Police have arrested a 20-year-old man after conducting a rigorous 10-day manhunt linked to a POCSO case in which a minor girl was molested in Vile Parle. The incident occurred on September 16 at approximately 9:20 pm, when the victim, a 10th-grade student, was returning home after purchasing household items. According to police, an unidentified man suddenly approached her from behind, covered her eyes with his hands, and touched her inappropriately on the chest before quickly escaping. The shocking incident left the girl shaken, but she immediately narrated her ordeal to her mother after reaching home.

The victim’s mother quickly informed her father about the assault, and without delay, the family approached Santacruz Police Station to lodge a complaint. An FIR was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2023. Following this, a special detection team was formed under the leadership of API Tushar Sawant and Senior PI Sanjay Kalhatkar. The officers launched a parallel investigation, scanning CCTV footage from the area, which helped track the suspect’s movements. Police soon managed to obtain clear images of the accused and identified his frequent visits to Nehru Nagar within Juhu police station limits.

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Using this crucial lead, investigators placed the suspect’s regular locations under strict surveillance with the assistance of local informants. On September 26, their persistence paid off when the accused was finally caught in Nehru Nagar, Juhu. He was identified as Pappu Jagil Nayak, aged 20, who worked as a labourer and resided in Vile Parle (W). A native of Ganjam district in Odisha, Nayak was taken into custody for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the crime, after which he was officially arrested by the Santacruz Police and booked under the charges relevant to the POCSO case.

Authorities confirmed that Nayak has been remanded to police custody, and the investigation continues under the close supervision of senior officers, including Additional Commissioner Paramjit Singh Dahiya, DCP Dikshit Gedam (Zone IX), ACP Maruti Pandit, and Senior PI Yogesh Shinde. The detection team that cracked the case consisted of officers Nitin Keni, Abhishek Karle, Srinivas Chila, Maruti Gawde, Narendra Hiremath, Manoj Patil, Prasad Yadav, Tejesh Mane, and Ananda Diwanji. Additional support was extended by API Abhishek Patil of Juhu Police Station. Officials stated that further inquiries are underway to determine if the accused was involved in similar offences in the past.