POCSO case accused who escaped from police custody nabbed in Bhusawal | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: A 24-year-old man who escaped from police custody at JJ Hospital on Friday was apprehended in Bhusawal, a city in the Jalgaon district, and brought back to Mumbai on Sunday. The accused, Sangharsh Mhaske, had been arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the parents of a 16-year-old girl lodged a complaint against him at the Pant Nagar police station.

Mhaske had abducted the girl last year and sexually assaulted her and was arrested but later released on bail a few months ago. After his release, he allegedly resumed contact with the girl and took her to Jalgaon, where his relatives reside. Upon discovering this, the victim’s parents approached the Pant Nagar police once again, prompting an investigation. The police traced Mhaske and the girl to Jalgaon, rescued the victim, and reunited her with her parents. On Friday, another case under the POCSO Act was registered against Mhaske, leading to his arrest.

Later that day, between 3 and 4 pm, Mhaske was taken to JJ Hospital for a mandatory medical examination. However, he managed to escape by slipping into a toilet and fleeing from the emergency ward, senior inspector Rajesh Kewale of Pant Nagar police station confirmed. Subsequently, a case for escaping from custody was registered against him at JJ Marg police station, and a search operation was launched.

“We began tracking him by reaching out to his friends and relatives, who revealed that he was heading to his native place in Bhusawal. CCTV footage from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) confirmed that he had boarded a train in the evening. Acting swiftly, a police team was dispatched to Bhusawal, where they arrested him at his native residence,” Kewale said.

Mhaske was brought back to Mumbai and will be handed over to JJ Marg police for legal proceedings related to his escape. Subsequently, he will be taken into custody again for the POCSO case, officials confirmed.