Mumbai: Brave students expose burqa-clad man filming female schoolmates

The accused being handed over to the police (L) and Screengrab of the CCTV footage showing accused in burqa (R)

Malvani police have arrested an individual who had been disguising himself as a woman by wearing a burqa and recording videos of female students outside the school. Two female students leaving the school after their exams noticed a suspicious person dressed in a burqa filming them. Initially, they chose to ignore the situation and continued walking. However, they soon realised something was amiss, prompting them to return to the scene and alert the school's security guards, teachers, and other students.

Upon seeing a group of people approaching, the suspect grew apprehensive and attempted to flee, but the students surrounded him. The accused verbally abused the girls and even pushed them as he tried to escape. The security guard and other students pursued him, and with the help of the public, they apprehended him roughly 500 metres away.

When the crowd removed the burqa, they were surprised to discover that the individual was, in fact, a man. Mistaken for a child abductor, the people resorted to physical violence before calling the police, who took him into custody.

"In our school, all students receive education on child safety and security, as well as guidance on recognising and reporting sexual harassment. Trained experts from various organisations, such as 'Arpan Towards Freedom from Child Sexual Abuse,' provide instruction to the children. Consequently, our students and their parents are now much more vigilant," said the school's principal. "The incident our students witnessed today highlights the success of our efforts, as they promptly informed us, leading to the suspect's arrest," the principal added.

The principal also highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into the suspect, a man dressed in a burqa who was found recording videos outside the school, to determine his motives.

"The 35-year-old accused has been charged under Sections 354 and 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The burqa used in the disguise was seized as evidence and presented in court," according to a police officer.

The accused confessed to his actions but claimed that he had no malicious intent. He explained that his relative's daughter attended the school and often did not return home on time after school. When he inquired about her lateness, she provided various false excuses. He received information that she might be associating with the wrong crowd, and he used the disguise to find out the truth. The burqa, he said, was chosen to avoid being recognised by the girl in question, the officer added.