02 January,2025 12:53 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
A CCTV grab of Nooren Mohammad Khalid
Nooren Mohammad Khalid, who allegedly terrorised women in Colaba before he was nabbed last month, was addicted to pornographic clips, some of which were found on his phone, according to the police. Cops said that they are struggling to make a watertight case against the accused as many women who have suffered are unwilling to register complaints.
Khalid, a tailor by profession, would stalk women, masturbate at their doorstep and lock the door from outside before fleeing. Investigators said that he had committed similar offences in his hometown in Uttar Pradesh but most of them went unregistered and in a bid to keep him from running afoul of the law, his family members had sent him to Mumbai.
"Khalid reached Mumbai around six months ago and he had been staying in Govandi. Before he was arrested, he would stalk women and indulge in indecent activities in front of their homes," said an officer.
"Around a dozen sexually explicit videos were stored in his smartphone, and Khalid told us that after watching them, he would exhibit a physical reaction, such as drooling. He told us that he was sexually deprived after coming to Mumbai and watching the clips would amplify his desire," the officer added.
After he visited Colaba for the first time, Khalid was very happy because he had noticed that most of the old residential structures were unguarded and he was encouraged to enter the building premises without facing any security check, said a police officer.
"Khalid's revelations are quite alarming as he actually thought that the women he was stalking would invite him inside their homes," the officer said.
An officer privy to the investigation told mid-day that Khalid was âsexually deprived'. "His wife and two children live in their hometown in Basti. His father and elder brother sent him to Mumbai to dodge any legal action against him because he had committed some offences, which are yet to be registered against him," the
officer said.
Local sources in Colaba told mid-day that Khalid had been stalking multiple women in the busy commercial streets. "But most of the victims are not willing to come to register a case against him," said a senior police officer.
After this newspaper highlighted the issue, the Colaba police registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as an Iranian woman was stalked by Khalid in December.
Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pravin Mundhe had to form several teams to catch the perpetrator. "Working on inputs given by local residents, my teams led by API Liladhar Patil and API Dnyaneshwar Kandekar nabbed the accused after a long chase. Six teams of police officers had been working hard on the case to nab the accused at the earliest possible time to put an end to his horrible activities and ensure the safety of Colaba residents," DCP Mundhe said.
Acting on a tip-off, API Patil and API Kandekar rushed to the spot, near a coffee shop behind the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where Khalid was standing.
"A CCTV camera captured the pervert pleasuring himself while donning an off-white T-shirt but when we saw him, he was wearing a chequered shirt. It was difficult to confirm his identity. But looking at our body language, he began running immediately," said Patil.
"Our two constables were also with me along with my colleague API Kandekar. So, we all chased him and caught him immediately in Colaba on December 13," Patil recalled.
The investigating officer API Kandekar said, "We managed to secure three-day police custody to complete our investigation, later the court remanded him in judicial custody." "If any women have been harassed by the accused in past, we request them to come forward and register an FIR so that a water-tight case can be easily made against him," Kandekar added.
6
No. of police teams formed to nab âstalker'
