Mumbai: A deaf and mute woman’s complaint about a sexual assault allegedly committed 16 years ago in Mumbai has led to the arrest of a man accused of preying on multiple women from the speech and hearing impaired community.

The accused, Mahesh Pawar, was arrested on December 13 after the survivor recently came forward, prompted by the suicide attempt of another woman who was allegedly harassed by him.

Police said the survivor, who lives in Mumbai’s western suburbs, revealed during a video call with friends and colleagues that she had been drugged and raped in 2009, when she was a minor. She communicated the account in sign language during a WhatsApp group call.

Disturbed by the incident within the community, the woman later informed her husband and, with the support of Thane Deaf Association president Vaibhav Ghaisis, activist Mohammed Farhan Khan, sign language interpreter Madhu Keni and a retired officer from the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities, approached the police.

Her statement was recorded in camera at Kurar police station with Keni acting as an interpreter. Pawar was arrested a few hours later from Virar in neighbouring Palghar district.

According to investigators, the survivor said she was taken to Pawar’s residence in Vakola, Santacruz, in July 2009 by a female friend under the pretext of celebrating a birthday. Pawar allegedly offered her food and a drink, which she was forced to consume and which was allegedly spiked. After the friend left, he allegedly sexually assaulted her and later blackmailed her using a recorded video of the assault.

Police say the investigation has uncovered a pattern of similar abuse. Pawar allegedly targeted several speech and hearing impaired women, drugged and assaulted them, and threatened them into silence using obscene videos. He is also accused of extorting money, gold and mobile phones, and of coercing women into nude video calls which he recorded for blackmail.

“So far, we have evidence of abuse involving seven women, but the number of victims could rise to more than 24,” a senior police officer said.

Pawar has been remanded in judicial custody. While no other formal complaints have yet been filed, Keni told PTI that several survivors are prepared to come forward. She also alleged that Pawar extorted money from one victim and failed to return it even when she needed funds