The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested a city-based senior executive of an MNC, for his alleged attempt to rape a Mumbai doctor.

The accused has been identified as Sameer Pareeja (40), assistant vice-president of a Pune-based MNC firm.

The Mumbai police arrested the accused from Bangalore. Police said that Pareeja posed as Raj, working on a World Bank project in Tokyo, and met the victim on an online matrimonial site, Jeevansathi.com.

Mumbai police said that while exchanging photographs, he allegedly forwarded her pictures of a male model instead of his own. The 35-year-old doctor, however, mailed him her original photographs.

"He made her strip on the webcam. Later, he proposed to her and asked her to meet his friend Sameer Pareeja in Pune. On April 20, 2008, the victim met Sameer at Turf Club in Pune. He took her to Taj Blue Diamond hotel and offered her a spiked drink,'' said Rakesh Maria, a joint commissioner of Mumbai police.

When she was in a semi-conscious state, Sameer allegedly attempted to rape her. However, when she raised an alarm, the accused fled the scene.

Sameer, who was married, has adopted a daughter. His wife and daughter are in Bangalore. Besides being booked for attempt to rape charge under the Indian Penal Code, he has also been booked under the IT Act. The accused has been remanded to the police custody till March 3.

Soumya Menon/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication