The Vadaj police have booked a 25-year-old man for allegedly assaulting and threatening a woman who was once his schoolmate, after she rejected his repeated advances and marriage proposal.
According to the FIR filed by 26-year-old assistant manager Bhumikaben Khatri, the accused — identified as Pawan alias Rahul Patil — intercepted her near Gokuldham Society under Ranip Metro Station on the evening of October 21, while she was returning home from work.
Khatri, a resident of Sola, stated that Patil had been persistently harassing her through phone calls and WhatsApp messages, urging her to marry him. He also frequently waited outside her office and followed her, which left her fearful of lodging a complaint earlier.
On October 21, around 7 pm, Patil allegedly confronted her again, insisting on speaking with her. When she refused, he became abusive, grabbed her hand, and slapped her multiple times. Locals who witnessed the incident intervened, forcing the accused to flee, but not before he threatened to kill her.
The complainant then contacted her father, Mahadevbhai Khatri, and later approached the police with her mother to file a formal complaint.
Based on her statement, Vadaj police registered an FIR against Pawan alias Rahul Patil under sections related to assault and outraging the modesty of a woman under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said the accused had been harassing the woman for months and is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace him, and his phone records and previous communications are being examined.