Mumbai:
A 20-year-old girl is recuperating at Mulund General Hospital after being slashed on the face by her lover, who was incensed when she refused to run away and marry him. The 26-year-old accused, who had also tried to kill himself, has been arrested.
Cops said that Lavesh Anant Ghanekar, who is a driver by profession, had an affair with a girl from his locality - Gawani pada in Mulund (West). When the girl's parents found out, they coerced her to stop meeting Ghanekar, which upset the latter.
When the girl returned to Mumbai after having spent some time elsewhere, the accused again tried to establish contact with her, but she thwarted his overtures. This angered the driver - who had already attempted suicide - and yesterday he slashed the girl's face several times after another meeting.
"The girl returned on Monday from UP and was going to drop off her younger brother to school at around 11.30 am, when Ghanekar asked her to elope with him. But the victim refused to speak to him," said an officer from Mulund police station. This angered Ghanekar, who lacerated the girl four times on her face with a sharp metal object and fled from the spot after the victim started bleeding.
"We have arrested Ghanekar under section 326 of IPC and he will be produced in a local court on Friday," said Mahadeo Gundewadi, ACP, Mulund division.