In what is increasingly being seen as part of a disturbing chain of incidents emerging from Maharashtra, a fresh case from Mumbai has brought to light shocking allegations of harassment, coercion, and obscene targeting of a young Hindu woman by a former Muslim colleague. The case has taken a political turn after it emerged that the accused is related to a functionary of the Samajwadi Party, adding another layer of scrutiny to an already sensitive matter.
The case, registered as FIR No. 187/2026 at Agripada Police Station on April 23, 2026, pertains to a complaint filed by a 19-year-old woman who had briefly worked as a telecaller at Piramal Construction in Mahalaxmi.
According to the FIR, the accused, identified as Ashraf Siddiqui, obtained her mobile number from a company WhatsApp group after she had left the job and began contacting her without consent.
The victim, in her complaint, provided a detailed account of how the harassment began and escalated over a span of three days. She stated, “On 21/04/2026, at around 11.15 am, I received a message from an unknown number… when I asked who it was, he replied ‘Ashraf Hu, Piramal Wala’.” Recognising him as a former colleague, she initially responded, but what followed quickly turned disturbing. “He started messaging me saying I looked very cute… then called me on WhatsApp and spoke in a very different manner,” she stated.
Sensing something was wrong, the victim recorded the conversation using a neighbour’s phone. According to her statement, the accused made explicit sexual demands during the call. “He asked me to have a love friendship with him and said we should go to a lodge and have sex… he also spoke about oral sex. I refused him,” the complaint reads. The victim added that the conversation lasted nearly an hour, during which she was subjected to repeated obscene remarks, leaving her frightened enough to immediately inform her father.
However, the harassment did not stop there. The following day, the accused allegedly intensified his actions by sending explicit content and continuing to pressure her. “On 22/04/2026, he sent me photos of some girls and claimed he had sex with them… he sent a photo of his penis and wrote ‘See my banana’,” the victim stated in her FIR. She further described receiving multiple pornographic videos and vulgar messages such as “Show me your ass,” adding, “Seeing all that, my feminine mind was ashamed.”
The complaint also reveals that the accused attempted to psychologically manipulate the victim by claiming past relationships with other women. He allegedly shared images of women and claimed sexual involvement with them. When the victim contacted two of her former colleagues, aged 19 and 28 years old, they reportedly confirmed that they too had received similar messages and had blocked the accused.
A particularly sensitive dimension of the case emerges from the statements attributed to the accused regarding religion. The FIR notes that when the victim indicated she was Hindu, the accused responded with remarks suggesting a pattern. “Nowadays Hindu girls like Muslims,” he allegedly said. This statement, along with similar claims reported by her colleagues, has triggered wider debate and concern.
The victim, in her media interaction, reiterated the sequence of events, stating, “He got my number through the group… after that he started sending me vulgar videos and photos.” She added that the accused attempted to reassure her in a contradictory manner, saying that even if they married, he would not ask her to leave her religion, a claim that has raised further questions about his intent.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: A 19-year-old woman from the Agripada area in Mumbai has filed an FIR alleging harassment by her colleague, who has been arrested by Agripada Police.
The Victim says, “I was working there as a telecaller. I used to do calling work. We got to know each other… pic.twitter.com/rClBAZtLGH
— IANS (@ians_india) April 24, 2026
Her father described the ordeal as deeply distressing. “For three days, she was being harassed… sending adult videos, forcing her to go to a lodge,” he said. He further alleged that the accused explicitly claimed, “I have done all this with many Hindu girls,” indicating what he believes is a larger pattern of behaviour. He also accused Siddiqui of misusing access to company data to obtain contact details of multiple women employees.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: Victim’s father says, “…For the last three days, she was being harassed, sending adult videos, making obscene remarks, repeatedly forcing her to go to a lodge… This is in Mahalaxmi Piramal. People were working there as telecallers. Ashraf Siddiqui is the… pic.twitter.com/91H3ude4lY
— IANS (@ians_india) April 24, 2026
Police, acting on the complaint, registered the FIR under Sections 75, 78(2), and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 67(A) of the IT Act, which deals with the transmission of sexually explicit material. The accused was subsequently arrested, and officials have confirmed that digital evidence, including chat records, screenshots, and call recordings, is being examined as part of the investigation.
The case has drawn political attention after it emerged that the accused is the nephew of a corporator, Iram Siddiqui, associated with the Samajwadi Party. Reports indicate that another relative, Sajid Siddiqui, has stated that the police should take strict action and has not opposed the legal process.
Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar also commented on the case, noting that the accused allegedly kept changing phone numbers to continue harassment. “The police acted in time, and that helped in arresting him,” she said, underlining the urgency of intervention in such cases.
A local resident Nitin Bankar said, “As you know, last week in Amravati, an incident happened where a boy from a specific community misled girls from a specific community, sexually harassed them, and blackmailed them… I spoke with the senior officials. They promised us that they will take the strictest possible action against him…”
Mumbai, Maharashtra: Local resident Ravindra Dabolkar says, “…The incident that happened here, similar to what happened a few days ago in Nashik in a TCS company, which we call ‘corporate jihad’ – people with a jihadist mindset are carrying out that conspiracy. After Nashik,… pic.twitter.com/CmRolUMdYr
— IANS (@ians_india) April 24, 2026
Another man, Ravindra Dabolkar said, “…The incident that happened here, similar to what happened a few days ago in Nashik in a TCS company, which we call ‘corporate jihad’ – people with a jihadist mindset are carrying out that conspiracy. After Nashik, this same incident has happened for the first time in Mumbai…”
This incident comes at a time when Maharashtra has been witnessing a series of alarming cases involving allegations of exploitation and harassment of women. From the widely discussed Nashik corporate case to disturbing claims emerging from Amravati, Yavatmal, and Shirdi, the recurrence of such incidents has raised serious questions about workplace safety, digital privacy, and the vulnerability of young women.
In one of the WhatsApp exchanges that has gone viral on social media, the accused allegedly sent a pornographic video with the message, “See this porn.” In another conversation, when told “Mai Hindu hu,” he reportedly responded by claiming he had multiple Hindu girlfriends and added, “Aaj kal Hindu girls bhi Muslim hi pasand aate hai.” These exchanges, now part of the ongoing investigation, are being closely examined by authorities.
The Agripada case, while still under investigation, has already become a focal point in the broader discourse on women’s safety, misuse of personal data, and the need for stricter enforcement mechanisms in workplace environments. At the same time, voices in the public and political space have begun calling such incidents within a larger narrative, alleging the presence of organised grooming networks and systematic targeting of Hindu women.
For now, the case stands as yet another stark reminder of how digital access, when misused, can become a tool of harassment and intimidation.
