Mumbai police have arrested a 26-year-old alleged film editor and casting director, named Deepak Malakar, a resident of Bihar, for assaulting an 18-year-old college student after she refused physical intimacy. The perpetrator was apprehended in Surat, Gujarat where he reportedly fled to following the assault. The victim has reportedly suffered critical skull injuries, aaprt from injuries on her face. She was left to die in an injured state.
Malakar was arrested on 14 August three days after he left Mumbai after the incident which took place on 11 August. He had turned off his mobile, however, the Versova Police were able to track him down due to a transaction at an ATM kiosk in Surat. The victim lost consciousness after the brutal attack and he escaped after he presumed her dead.
The victim girl later regained consciousness and screamed for help. The student is presently recuperating in the hospital after spending two days in the intensive care unit. Malakar admitted to the police that he intended to murder her because she had turned down his advances and aimed to pursue a career in Hindi cinema, according to the police.
A police officer stated, “Malakar had switched off his mobile phone to evade arrest. However, the ATM withdrawal from his bank account helped us track down his location in Surat and apprehend him.” He befriended her last year on Facebook. He made a marriage proposal to her parents two months ago.
Police revealed, “They agreed and allowed him to stay in their 1-BHK flat, but the girl told him that she wanted to complete her studies and try her luck in Bollywood before marrying him. During his stay at her house, he tried to initiate physical relations with her, but she maintained a distance, which angered him.”
He took her to a friend’s flat in Versova village on 11 August under the guise of collecting his belongings and tried to rape her. He was staying there before he moved to her place. “When she resisted, he banged her head to the wall and rained blows on her face till she collapsed. Assuming that she was dead, he panicked, locked the flat from outside, and fled the city,” informed the policeman.
When the teenager regained consciousness an hour later, she cried for assistance after which neighbors rushed to her aid and dialed the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone IX) Krishnakant Upadhaya assembled a squad to find the culprit that included senior inspector Ganesh Pawar of the Versova police, sub-inspectors Dnyaneshwar Jadhav and Nagesh Misal, and staff.
The cop disclosed, “The accused had switched off his phone, but was communicating with his friends by making calls from local booths and pedestrians’ phones in Surat. Finally, the ATM withdrawals helped us track down his location on Monday.”
He has been charged with violating Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 342 (wrongful imprisonment), 354, and 354 (D) (outrage modesty). He remains to be held in police custody until 18 August.
