A 29-year-old woman narrowly escaped a sexual assault attempt after she handed over her jewellery to the attacker in Borivali during the early hours of Monday. The incident took place under the Sudhir Phadke Bridge, and the accused, identified as Sanjay Rajput (35), has been arrested by the Malad Police following a joint operation with Borivali and Kandivali police.
According to the complaint, the woman, a homemaker residing in Dahisar (East), had left home around 4:45 am on November 10 to visit a Jain temple. After offering prayers at a temple in Borivali (West), she proceeded to another Jain temple in Dahisar (West), where she met some acquaintances. Later, she decided to visit yet another temple on Mandapeshwar Road. Around 5:30 am, while walking alone under the Sudhir Phadke Bridge in Borivali, an unidentified man approached her from behind, grabbed her, and dragged her to a dark corner of the roadside, where he allegedly tried to assault her.
Terrified, the woman pleaded with the man to let her go, but he refused to listen. In a desperate attempt to save herself, she offered him her gold ring (10 grams) and earrings. The accused took the ornaments, released her, and fled the spot — but not before snatching her mobile phone and earphones.
Moments later, the shaken woman spotted a police vehicle near the bridge and immediately reported the incident, providing a detailed description of the attacker. Based on her complaint, police teams from Borivali, Malad, and Kandivali launched a coordinated manhunt.
Under the leadership of Assistant Police Sub-Inspector Tushar Sukhdev from the Malad Crime Branch, the police team conducted a thorough search overnight using CCTV footage and technical analysis, which led to the arrest of Sanjay Rajput (35) on Tuesday. Rajput, a resident of Prem Nagar in Dahisar, works at a local hotel where he washes utensils and also does road-cleaning work.
Police officials confirmed that Rajput is in custody and will be produced before the court soon. Further investigation into the incident is underway.