MUMBAI: A 26-year-old model was groped by one of her neighbours at a housing society in Goregaon (W) on Tuesday night in the presence of several people. The accused, Kafil Jaffri (36), allegedly told the model that she was dressed in a skimpy outfit and shouldn't make a noise if someone touched her. The model said the police were unwilling to lodge a complaint until she asked them to check the CCTV footage maintained by the society. Jaffri was arrested on Wednesday and produced before a magistrate court.

The victim has done modelling assignments for an animal welfare group and shot a video on breast cancer awareness.

Around 8.45pm on Tuesday, the model and her sister left their apartment at Mitha Nagar for a meeting. "I was wearing a short dress. As my sister and I crossed the society's main gate, a man came and touched me inappropriately. When I confronted him, he passed a lewd comment about my outfit and groped me," she told TOI.

The model raised an alarm and a crowd gathered. "She had a fight with the accused. She did not know him personally and was only aware that he resided in her society. She then dialled the police emergency number '100' and we sent a mobile van to the society," said senior inspector Arun Jadhav of the Goregaon police station.

The police broke up the fight and picked up Jaffri. "The police reached our society an hour later. They were unwilling to even lodge a non-cognizable complaint. I told them that nearly a dozen people were witnesses to the incident and urged them to go through CCTV footage. Only then did they lodge an FIR late at night," the model said.

On Wednesday, Jaffri was remanded in police custody for one day. Police officers said he runs a printing business. On being questioned, Jaffri told the police that he had touched the model accidentally. "We are yet to view the CCTV footage of the society," Jadhav added.

Jaffri has been booked under sections 354 (a) and 509 of the IPC for sexual harassment.

