Mumbai: The sessions court has convicted a 35-year-old Borivali resident for assaulting a woman he was allegedly in love with after she started distancing herself from him in September 2013. However, the court released the man, Mayur Bhatawala, on probation, stating that his actions were driven by the “passion of love” for the woman.
Observation Made By The Court
The court observed that Bhatawala was 24 years old when the incident occurred. “It seems he is the sole breadwinner of the family. The circumstances under which the offence was committed need to be considered. The court’s approach in sentencing such offenders should always be reformative,” the court said.

The duo met through a social networking site and became friends. She was working at a beauty parlour, and he visited her frequently. He proposed marriage, but the parlour’s owner advised her against a relationship with him as he was unemployed.
On September 10, 2013, the accused appeared outside the beauty parlour, attempting to meet her. As she refused, he began banging on the door. Frightened, she asked the owner for help and instructed the watchman not to open the door. He returned the next day and threatened suicide, issuing further threats later and attacking her with a blade, injuring her face.