Mumbai – A 27-year-old French woman employed at the French Consulate in Mumbai was allegedly molested in the Bandra West area on November 8, 2025. The incident occurred around 12:25 AM while she was walking home after visiting a friend in Pali Hill.
According to the victim's complaint, a man on a scooter followed her before stopping beside her, molesting her, and then speeding away. The French Consulate filed a formal complaint with the Khar Police on November 14, 2025, prompting an immediate investigation.
The Mumbai Police launched a rapid hunt to track down the suspect. A special team was formed, led by DCP (Zone IX) Dikshit Gedam and ACP Adikrao Pol, and including Senior Inspector Sanjeev Dhumal, Inspector Vaibhav Katkar, Assistant Inspector Bharat Satpute, and Sub-Inspectors Hanumant Kumbhare and Manik Ghogare. The team reviewed over 50 CCTV recordings from the area. Despite some footage being overwritten, the police managed to recover video showing the accused following the woman on his scooter.
Within 24 hours of the complaint being filed, the police successfully identified and apprehended the accused, Sunil Waghela, a 25-year-old scrap dealer residing in Dharavi. Waghela was arrested at his residence, located approximately 100 meters from the Dharavi police station, on Saturday night. The scooter used in the crime was also seized.
Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Sunil Waghela under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This section pertains to assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Authorities are investigating whether Waghela had been stalking the victim for several days prior to the incident and what he was doing in Bandra at such a late hour. Police suspect he may have been stalking her for a few days. Waghela has been remanded in police custody.
The prompt and efficient response of the Mumbai Police in apprehending the accused within 24 hours has been commended. The incident, however, has raised concerns about the safety of women, particularly foreign nationals, in Mumbai.
