Man posing as transgender enters woman’s PG, sexually assaults her; arrested

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in Mumbai’s Powai after entering her paying guest (PG) accommodation posing as a transgender person on the pretext of warding off the evil eye.

According to the police, the accused, Anil Sheshrao Shinde, would dress in a sari in his spare time and approach people posing as a transgender person. He would claim to know special rituals that could solve people’s problems or fulfil their wishes.

A case was registered at the Powai police station under Sections 64(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The police said the woman, an airhostess, would occasionally stay at the PG. According to investigating officer Ramchandra Pinjarkar, her husband, who works in Varanasi, was hospitalised with dengue at the time.

“Shinde came to the PG pretending to be a transgender person who could rid the 75-year-old owner of the PG of the evil eye. He then entered the woman’s bedroom and offered to ward off the evil eye. He closed the door, asked her to lie down on the bed and started touching her inappropriately. When she resisted, he threatened to harm her and then sexually assaulted her. He took ₹300 from her, claiming the evil eye had been warded off,” Mr. Pinjarkar said.

Mr. Shinde was later seen fleeing in an autorickshaw. The police tracked CCTV footage and other resources to trace him to a slum area in Kalwa, Thane, where he was arrested. Mr. Shinde is married and has a son. A local court remanded him in police custody until August 24.