Mumbai:
For most people, their mobile phone is a link to their social life but for a 22-year-old TYBcom student, her phone became a nightmare after she received more than 150 calls a day from a single person. And to make matters worse, the accused used 64 different phone numbers so that she couldn't identify him.
Sion police arrested 22-year-old Mohit Kumar Verma, a native of Unnao Zilla in Uttar Pradesh, for harassing the victim. Verma used to abuse and harass the victim and her family, once she started ignoring his calls. According to the victim's family, in December 2011, they had arranged her engagement with Verma following which the two started sharing long conversations over the phone.
However, things soon soured for the victim when Verma continuously questioned her character and kept asking her questions about people she would go out with. "Verma always questioned my character and always doubted me. He kept accusing me of having an affair with someone in college. He also gave out my number to his friends who would pretend that they were interested in having an affair with me so that he could test me."
The victim's father added, "After my daughter complained about his behaviour, I started inquiring and in August 2012, I spoke to his father and called off the engagement." Angry that the engagement was called off, Verma began abusing her and calling her names on the phone and kept harassing her by calling incessantly. Finally, after he sent vulgar messages to her father and brother, the father filed an NC with the Sion police and a complaint was lodged under Section 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the IPC.
Sub-Inspector Dhananjay Kawde said, "We filed a FIR on January 4 and later also sent a team to UP to arrest him but we could not locate him." He added, "Later, we received a tip-off that Verma was going to surrender himself and later the court informed us that he had surrendered at the Kurla court." Verma has been booked under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty) and Sections 66 (A) and 67 from the IT act.
He was later produced in court and has been remanded to police custody. Advocate Jyoti Vaity who has been assisting the public prosecutor in the case said, "In such a scenario it is very difficult for women to use phones and that is exactly what happened with my client." Her superior, Advocate Ashok Sahani added, "The investigations in such cases begin only after the accused are placed under arrest. We will ensure that the accused is sentenced to maximum punishment."