Man who chased woman on bike, sexually harassed her, nabbed

Panaji: Police on Monday arrested a habitual offender, Gloan Pednekar, 27, a resident of Tonca, Caranzalem, involved in multiple cases of alleged sexual harassment and crimes against women.

Last week, the accused left a young woman traumatised after he chased her on a motorcycle and sexually harassed her in Panaji.

SP Akshat Kaushal said that Pednekar was arrested following meticulous technical surveillance and intelligence-based operations.

On Feb 24, Panaji police registered the case against an unidentified person in connection with sexual harassment, stalking and outraging the modesty of the complainant and her female friend. The incident took place on Feb 23, 2025, at 10.20pm near Citizen Credit Co-Operative Bank Ltd., Patto, Panaji.

Following the registration of the case, a team was formed to trace and apprehend the accused.

The SP said that after committing the offence, Pednekar went into hiding to evade arrest. “With the help of technical surveillance, intelligence gathering and analysis of CCTV footage, the accused was identified as Gloan Pednekar. Based on the leads, his location was traced to Belagavi,” Kaushal said.

“Goa police reaffirm their commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women and urge the public to report any suspicious activities immediately. Strict action will be taken against habitual offenders and perpetrators of crimes against women,” the SP said.