Mumbai pizza delivery boy tries to rape, kill woman

A 17-year-old pizza delivery boy was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to rape and murder a 24-year-old woman in Worli. The victim, a civil engineer from Wardha, had come to Mumbai to look for a job and was staying with her aunt in government quarters on Annie Besant Road.

"On Tuesday evening, the victim called up a local pizza shop and placed an order. She was alone at home as her aunt, a government servant, had gone to Pune on work," said senior inspector Deepak Pawar of the Worli police station.

At 8pm, the teenager delivered the pizza at the victim's first-floor flat and left. He might have realized that she was alone at home, said an officer. A few minutes later he rang the doorbell again and said he had forgotten to give her sachets of sauce and chilli flakes. "All of a sudden, he pushed the woman inside and bolted the door. He dragged her into the kitchen and tried to rape her. When she resisted, he picked up a kitchen knife and slashed her on the neck and wrists," said Pawar.

The victim managed to grab a grinding stone and hit him on the face. When she screamed for help, he panicked and fled.

Hearing her screams, neighbours rushed to the flat. They took her to the nearby Podar Hospital and called up her aunt. The hospital informed the police who recorded the victim's statement. She was later shifted to Nair hospital; doctors said her condition is stable.

At 9.30pm, the police reached the pizza shop, but it was shut for the day. They then went to the owner's house to get the boy's address and picked up the suspect from his Worli Koliwada chawl room early on Wednesday.

The shop-owner told the police that he had given the teenager, a class VIII dropout, a job in his kitchen as he was his neighbour. The owner told the police that he had sent the boy to the victim's house as all the delivery boys were out.

"When he did not return to the shop after delivering the pizza, I called him up. He told me that he had an argument with his girlfriend and was going home. I believed him," said the shop-owner. "I had recently set up the shop after taking a loan. Now, his stupid act has ruined my business."

At 1am on Wednesday, the Worli police arrested the accused and booked him for attempt to rape and murder under the Indian Penal Code.

The teenager's father works in a private firm, while his mother is a homemaker.

What happened

1 At 8pm on Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy delivers pizza to a 24-year-old woman, who lives with her aunt in a government quarters in Worli. She is alone at home. A few minutes later, he rings the doorbell again, says he forgot to give chilli flake sachets

2 Suddenly he barges in and locks the door. He drags the woman into the kitchen and tries to rape her

3 He picks up a knife, slashes her wrists and neck. She hits him on the face with a grinding stone and screams for help. He flees

4 Neighbours take her to nearby hospital. The police take her statement and arrest the teenager from his Worli Koliwada chawl room on Wednesday at 1am