Mumbai: Man says entered Pedder Road flat to ‘answer nature’s call’, gets bail

In the bail application filed by defence lawyer, Kamlesh More has claimed that the “senior citizen was forced to enter the house” of the complainant as he “wanted to answer the nature’s call on an urgent basis”. (Representational Image)

A 62-year-old man, who was arrested for trespassing and voyeurism, was granted bail on Monday. The painter is accused of barging into the house of a 29-year-old woman, a Pedder Road resident and entering the toilet, which was, at the time, occupied by the woman.

In the bail application filed by defence lawyer, Kamlesh More has claimed that the “senior citizen was forced to enter the house” of the complainant as he “wanted to answer the nature’s call on an urgent basis”.

The accused, identified as Dattaram Surve, a resident of Santacruz, was arrested on Friday. The police said renovation of a high-rise in a Pedder Road was underway and Surve was in-charge of painting the building.

The accused entered the third floor apartment through the window using the bamboo scaffolding, following which he was stopped when he was about to enter the toilet of the apartment, the police said. The complainant was allegedly present inside, when the sexagenarian opened the toilet door. “On seeing me, he closed the door and ran out of the apartment. I went out and scolded at my father for letting a plumber enter my room, but after he and the other members present in the house confirmed that nobody entered or left the house through the main door, we sensed that something was amiss. After we checked my bedroom, we found the window open,” said the complainant in her statement to police.

The complainant’s father contacted the security head and the labourers working at the site were called to the main gate. “I identified the 62-year-old through my window. Later, we took him to the police station,” said the complainant to police, following which the case under sections 354 (C) (voyeurism) and 454 (trespassing) was registered with the Gamdevi police station. Initially, the accused was remanded in police custody for three days but later was granted bail of Rs 10,000 on Monday.

Defence advocate Kamlesh More said, “Surve, a painter, was working in the building. He was on the tenth floor when he got a nature’s call. It was so urgent that he couldn’t wait until he gets down, so he started looking for a house which was empty with its window open. Later on, the third floor when he didn’t spot anyone inside the house, he entered the house and immediately rushed to the toilet where the complainant was already present.”

The investigators said that they are yet to ascertain the reason for the senior citizen to enter the house. Police sub-inspector D Patil from Gamdevi police station said, “When the senior citizen was got to the police station, he was scared and didn’t say anything. We believe that the man entered the house with an intention to steal.”

“Why would any person with intent of voyeurism or theft, enter the apartment’s toilet immediately after getting in, he would rather look for valuables,” questioned More’s colleague lawyer Vidur Dhawan adding that “he fled from the house as soon as he saw her.”