A 27-year-old French woman employed at the French Consulate in Mumbai was molested late on the night of 8 November 2025 in Bandra West by a man riding a scooter, who touched her inappropriately before fleeing the scene.
The victim was walking home from a friend’s residence when the assailant followed her and then committed the offence. Mumbai Police acted swiftly in the investigation, arresting the accused, Sunil Vishnu Waghela, a 25-year-old scrap dealer from Dharavi, within 24 hours of the complaint being filed.
The French Consulate cooperated fully with the authorities, expressing confidence in the police’s thorough response to the incident.
Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 74, related to assault with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty, and seized the scooter used in the crime.
Incident Details and Police Action
On the night of 7 November, the victim, a French language teacher at the consulate, had visited a friend’s house in Pali Hill, Bandra West. Around 12:25 am on 8 November, she was walking back to her accommodation when the accused began trailing her on a scooter.
CCTV footage reviewed by the police showed Waghela following the woman and stopping beside her before committing the molestation and speeding away. The police scanned over 50 CCTV cameras from the area to ascertain the suspect’s identity and route.
Using the scooter’s registration number, the police traced Waghela’s residence just about 100 metres from the Dharavi police station. The accused was found to have avoided returning home for nearly three days post-incident, likely to evade capture, before being caught in a trap laid by a special team led by ACP Adikrao Pol.
When police arrested him late on Saturday night, his family and some community members resisted, creating a commotion which the police managed to control. Waghela was produced before a holiday court in Bandra and remanded to police custody.
Police are investigating whether the accused had been stalking the victim for days prior and are probing his reasons for being in Bandra late at night. The swift cooperation between the French diplomatic mission and Mumbai Police has been welcomed by all stakeholders as it reflects a joint commitment to justice.
Context and Safety Concerns in Mumbai
Bandra West is a bustling urban neighbourhood known for its affluence, nightlife, and expatriate population, yet the incident highlights persistent safety challenges for women in metropolitan cities. Public concern has grown over street harassment and violence despite advances in urban infrastructure.
Women’s rights organisations have called for improved lighting, enhanced police patrolling, victim support, and extensive use of technology such as CCTV surveillance to deter street crimes.
The case has sharpened the focus on the need for effective measures that protect women, especially those working late or living alone in urban hubs. Safety is a multidimensional issue involving infrastructure, law enforcement, social attitudes, and rapid response capabilities.
Further, this incident involving a foreign consulate staff member has diplomatic implications, putting additional pressure on local authorities to act decisively.
Mumbai has witnessed increased public and official scrutiny regarding women’s safety, and such cases often trigger city-wide debates on how public spaces can be made secure and inclusive.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This distressing episode underscores an ongoing struggle faced by women to move freely and safely in cities. Safety should never be contingent on one’s nationality, profession, or social status.
Such assaults are not just individual criminal acts but reflections of broader social failures-of inadequate urban planning, ineffective law enforcement, and entrenched cultural attitudes towards women.
The Logical Indian advocates for a collective societal awakening that champions dignity, respect, and equal rights for all.
It calls for systemic reforms including better policing, community vigilance, urban design that prioritises safety, and extensive public education to instill empathy and respect. Cities thrive when they are safe and welcoming.
