Mumbai hawker held for groping foreigner says he has been molesting women for months

A prominent street food vendor from Borivli was arrested on Friday evening for molesting a 50-year-old foreign national in Powai.

Police said the accused, Vijay Gadwi, confessed to having molested several other women in the city.The woman told police she was molested on June 24 outside Powai Plaza.

While she and her husband were walking home from a nearby restaurant at night, Gadwi rode up on his bike, groped her and fled. An onlooker driving a WagonR followed the accused for 15 minutes, but couldn’t keep up with him.

After the police main control room was informed about the incident, the Powai police registered a case.

Police sub-inspector Sachin Wagh, deputy commissioner of police ND Reddy and senior police inspector Anil Pophale started scrutinising CCTV camera footage of the area. However, the police team could trace the accused only till R-City Mall in Ghatkopar.

Police found CCTV camera footage of Gadwi molesting another woman in Powai. Through their network of informers, they found out that he lived in Borivli.

The police said Gadwi, a divorcee, did not come home every night. They laid a trap and nabbed him.

“Gadwi confessed to having molested women since the past four to five months,” said a police officer, who did not wish to be identified.Gadwi said he would take advantage of crowded areas during festivals such as Ganpati and Navratri to molest women, the officer added.

He was booked under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.

He was produced in court and remanded in police custody.