17-Year-Old Pune Girl On Way To Pandharpur Temple Pulled Out Of Car, Sexually Assaulted On Highway

The car was carrying seven people, comprising a 70-year-old driver, three women, two 17-year-old boys, and a 17-year-old girl, from Junnar tehsil in Pune to Pandharpur temple town.

The victims, belonging to two families, had briefly halted their journey near a tea stall.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

In a disturbing incident reported from Maharashtra's Pune district, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted while three women were robbed of their gold jewellery by two unidentified motorbike-borne men on a highway early Monday morning, police said.

The attack occurred around 4:15 am near Bhigwan on a highway in the Daund area, when a group of seven people comprising a 70-year-old driver, three women, two 17-year-old boys, and a 17-year-old girl were on their way from Junnar tehsil in Pune to the Pandharpur temple town in neighbouring Solapur district.

The victims, belonging to two families, had briefly halted their journey near a tea stall after the elderly driver needed to relieve himself.

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“As the driver exited the vehicle, two unidentified assailants approached the car, brandishing sharp weapons. They threatened the passengers and looted gold jewellery from the three women," a senior police official stated. “One of the accused then forcibly pulled the minor girl out of the vehicle and sexually assaulted her," the official added.

The 73-year-old tea stall owner, who witnessed the unfolding crime, was reportedly unable to provide comprehensive details due to age-related limitations. After the attackers fled on their motorcycle, the traumatised passengers managed to inform local authorities.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other applicable laws. The police have launched an investigation and are working to trace the culprits. Additional updates are awaited as teams pursue leads in this deeply troubling case.
 
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Eight teams have been formed to trace and nab the accused," Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill said