Woman faces sexual harassment by moneylender, accused arrested
Mumbai: A 46-year-old widow, who had borrowed Rs 15,000 from a Mulund-based private moneylender, faced brutal sexual harassment on the pretext of repaying the interest amount. The matter first came to light on November 24, when the woman, a resident of Mulund, contacted Navghar police.
According to the police, the woman’s husband died during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and since then she has been living with her 16-year-old son. She works as a security guard in a hypermarket in Kanjurmarg. In 2022, she wanted to rent an apartment in MHADA Colony in Mulund East, and for this, she had a shortfall of Rs 15,000, which she needed to pay immediately to finalize the rental agreement.
Despite paying the money the accused continued the harassment
While looking for lenders to borrow money, he met a man named Vijay Janardhan Khamkar – who agreed to lend him money at a hefty interest rate of 15 percent. The victim explained her financial situation – after which he agreed to reduce the interest by 5 per cent – which was eventually reduced to 10 per cent. He paid him Rs. Rs 13,500 after deducting the first installment. By the end of 2022, she managed to return the money with interest, despite this, he kept calling her asking for more money.
“I realized his bad intentions towards me. “He spoke to me in a very inappropriate manner, after which I decided to leave the room and rented another apartment,” the victim said in her statement to the police.
‘He kept abusing and attacking me’
On Friday morning, when the victim was in the bathroom and washing clothes, Khamkar allegedly entered the house and hugged her from behind. When she protested, he grabbed her neck and started touching her inappropriately. Despite paying all the outstanding money, she added, “He kept asking for interest money, I kept crying to leave me, he kept abusing and attacking me. Then he grabbed my gown and assaulted me. When he ran away from the house, I started screaming.”
The victim later told everything to her son when she returned home, who then contacted the police and filed an FIR against Khamkar. According to senior police inspector Dattaram Girap, API Satish Patil was given charge of the case – who arrested Khamkar the same day. It may be noted that Khamkar has a history of lending money to the needy and then demanding exorbitant amounts in return in the name of interest rate.
investigation underway
“In this case, the victim has already returned the borrowed amount, but he kept demanding more. From Rs 15,000 to now Rs. He kept demanding Rs 50,000 from her and when he realized that she would not be able to return it, he sexually assaulted her. Further investigation is underway in the case,” said an officer.
Khamkar, a resident of MHADA Colony in Mulund East, also has the support of a local political party, where he is a worker. On Saturday, he was produced in the court, from where he was sent to police custody for three days. Police said he will be produced in court again on Tuesday.
Section 452 (trespass in house after preparation for causing hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354B (assault or use of criminal force with intent to disarm woman), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 on Khamkar. Allegations including (intentional insult) have been made. ), sections 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture, act intended to insult the dignity of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code, and section 39 (lending money without valid licence), and others of the Maharashtra Money – Lending (Regulation) Act, 2014.
