A deaf and mute woman reported a 2009 sexual assault, leading to the arrest of Mahesh Pawar in Mumbai.
Police say the accused targeted multiple speech and hearing impaired women using drugs, assault and blackmail.
Investigators have evidence involving seven survivors, with the number potentially rising to over 24.
A complaint filed by a deaf and mute woman over a sexual assault that occurred 16 years ago in Mumbai has led to the arrest of a man accused of targeting multiple speech and hearing impaired women through assault, blackmail and extortion, exposing what police describe as a long-running pattern of abuse within the community.
The accused, Mahesh Pawar, was arrested on December 13, days after the survivor decided to speak out following the suicide attempt of another woman who was allegedly sexually harassed by him. According to PTI, the survivor was deeply affected by the incident and disclosed her own experience during a video call with friends.
Police said the survivor, a resident of Mumbai’s western suburbs, communicated in sign language during a video call with friends and colleagues who were part of a WhatsApp group. During the call, she alleged that Pawar had drugged and raped her in 2009, when she was a minor, PTI reported.
She later shared her account with her husband and, with the assistance of Thane Deaf Association president Vaibhav Ghaisis, activist Mohammed Farhan Khan, sign language interpreter Madhu Keni, and a retired officer from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities Divyangjan, approached the police.
The survivor, accompanied by her husband and a few friends, went to the Kurar police station, where her statement was recorded in camera with Keni acting as interpreter. Pawar was arrested a few hours later from Virar in neighbouring Palghar district, according to PTI.
Recounting the events from July 2009, police said the survivor told investigators that a female friend had invited her to explore the city and later took her to Pawar’s residence in Vakola, Santacruz. The accused allegedly offered her samosas and a beverage to mark the friend’s birthday.
The survivor stated that she was forced to consume the drink, which she believes was spiked, and that her friend subsequently left her alone with Pawar. She alleged that he then overpowered and raped her, and later threatened her with a video recording of the assault to ensure her silence.
The trauma from the incident persisted for years, police said, and the recent suicide attempt by another woman from the community — also allegedly assaulted by Pawar — prompted the survivor to come forward.
A preliminary investigation has indicated that Pawar used similar methods to target other speech and hearing impaired women, a senior police officer said. According to PTI, the accused allegedly drugged and assaulted several women, filmed obscene videos and used them to blackmail the survivors into silence.
The officer said Pawar is also accused of extorting money, gold and mobile phones from women using these recordings. He allegedly coerced some of them into participating in nude video calls, which he recorded and later used as threats.
“As per initial investigation so far, we have evidence of his abuse of seven women, but the number can increase to more than 24,” the official told PTI.
Pawar has been remanded to judicial custody. However, no other survivor has formally approached the police so far, the officer said.
Speaking to PTI, interpreter Madhu Keni said that women who survived abuse and harassment by Pawar want to file complaints. She also alleged that Pawar had extorted money from one of the women and failed to return it even when she required funds for a medical emergency.
(With inputs from PTI)
