Digital Desk: According to police, a food delivery agent in Pune
forcibly kissed a 19-year-old woman after discovering her alone at home. Raees
Sheikh, 39, was arrested on the night of the incident on September 17, and has
since been released on bail.
"The young woman, a rent-paying student, placed an order on
Zomato. However, Zomato appears to have switched the delivery to the Dunzo app.
Around 9.30 p.m., the man who delivered the order asked for water and entered
the house. When she came back, he grabbed her arm and kissed her twice
"Jagannath Jankar, the area police chief, confirmed this. He left as she
resisted, later sending her messages in which he described himself as
"like her uncle."
"The woman came to us with a friend, and we were able to
apprehend the accused that night. The next day, the court granted him bail. He
had no prior criminal history "He continued. The accused is charged with
sexual harassment under Indian Penal Code sections 354 and 354A.
However, Zomato has stated that the delivery agent did not work
for them and that the company would cooperate with the investigation as needed.
Dunzo has not yet issued a statement. An investigation is underway to determine
how the order chain from one app to another came about.
The woman was in no condition to speak to the media. According to her landlord, "She is terrified and tense. We counselled her and assisted her in reporting the incident to the police so that no one would dare to do such a thing again."
"Before working with anyone, these apps must conduct proper character verification and background checks," said the police officer. He also stated that there are young men and women living alone in various areas of Pune, which is home to numerous educational institutions. "They should exercise caution when trusting anyone, especially when alone and at night. They should have the phone numbers of friends and police officers saved in their phones in case of an emergency."
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