Man arrested and convicted for molestation in Navi Mumbai

A man has been arrested and convicted for molesting a woman at Kanakeshwar Temple in Navi Mumbai within just 48 hours. Haresh Mahadev Patil, a labourer from Narangi village, admitted to the charges in a fast-track court. The incident occurred on March 11 when the woman reported Patil for molestation. Following her complaint, police arrested him and charged him under several legal sections that address assault and stalking. The Mandwa Coastal Police registered the case promptly. The investigation was quick, with police constable Chetan Mhatre collecting evidence and filing the chargesheet within a day. The case was then presented in court, where Patil accepted his guilt and requested a lighter sentence. The Judicial Magistrate First Class in Alibaug confirmed the details of the case. If Patil had not pleaded guilty, the legal process could have taken much longer, possibly leading to a trial that could last months or years. Instead, he received a seven-day sentence and was fined ₹ 1,000. This swift action follows another recent case where Navi Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet in just 18 hours in a POCSO case involving a child.