Navi Mumbai: Panvel City police have registered a case against a 34-year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting his 15-year-old stepdaughter over two years in Panvel. The accused has been booked under rape charges and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police said the minor was living with her mother and stepfather in Panvel. The abuse began in August 2024 when the accused allegedly assaulted her while she was alone at home. He reportedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone, causing her to stay silent for two years.

The case came to light after the accused was arrested on April 15 in a separate assault case involving a fight with neighbors. While in judicial custody at Taloja jail, the victim disclosed the abuse to her mother, leading to a formal complaint at Panvel City police station.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against the accused under sections 64(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act.

Assistant Police Inspector Rajendra Ghevdekar is investigating the case under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Nitin Thakare. The accused remains in judicial custody, and further legal proceedings are underway.

Mumbai: An incident has come to light from a renowned school in Govandi, where a 45-year-old peon has been arrested for inappropriately touching a 6-year-old student.

The accused, identified as Rajesh Mahakal, had allegedly been misbehaving with the child for the past year. He allegedly took the child to an empty room inside the school premises and touched him inappropriately.

The matter came to light after the child informed his family about the incident. Following this, the family immediately approached the Govandi police station and lodged a complaint against the accused.

Taking serious note of the complaint, the police registered a case against the peon and arrested him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police officials told Media that they have launched a further investigation into the matter by reviewing CCTV and interrogating staff.

This comes a few months after the Malad police arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly molesting a 4-year-old student at a private school in Malad West. The incident occurred on January 12, and the police arrested the accused on February 6.

The accused, who worked as a peon at the school, was booked under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) for allegedly inappropriately touching the child. The minor shared the ordeal with her parents, who then approached the police. After registering the case, the police subsequently arrested the man.

The court has remanded him to police custody for one day. Meanwhile, the police asked the school trustee for CCTV footage, but the trustee denied the request and had not informed the police in time. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the trustee as well. 

Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday attacked the Mahayuti government after the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report showed a sharp rise in crimes registered in Mumbai during 2024.

Sharing the NCRB data on social media, the former Shiv Sena UBT Rajya Sabha MP said Mumbai had become the second-highest metro city in several categories of crime, including offences against women, senior citizens and cyber crimes.

“Mumbai at number 2 in crimes — against women, against senior citizens & in cyber crimes. Thank you Mahayuti sarkar,” Chaturvedi posted on X while sharing a graphic highlighting the NCRB figures.

According to a media report citing the NCRB data, Mumbai registered 70,054 offences in 2024 compared to 65,441 cases in 2023, marking a 7.1 per cent increase. While several major metropolitan cities witnessed a decline in crime, Mumbai recorded a notable rise.

The NCRB data showed that in the category of crimes against women, Mumbai recorded 6,358 cases in 2024 against 6,025 in 2023, an increase of 5.5 per cent. The city ranked second after Delhi, which recorded 13,396 such cases.

The report also highlighted a sharp rise in crimes against senior citizens in Mumbai. Cases increased from 518 in 2023 to 791 in 2024, registering a massive 52.7 per cent jump, one of the highest among metro cities. Cops believe many of these cases were linked to cyber fraud and financial scams targeting elderly citizens.

Cybercrime cases in Mumbai also rose significantly. The city registered 5,087 cybercrime cases in 2024 compared to 4,169 in 2023, reflecting a 22 per cent increase. Mumbai ranked second after Bengaluru in cybercrime registrations.

While traditional offences such as murder, robbery, chain snatching, extortion, and house break-ins reportedly declined, serious offences including molestation, rape, sexual harassment and offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) saw an increase.