Incidents of sexual assault, including rape, on women and children are being increasingly reported from various districts in Maharashtra. The latest incident was reported from Pune on Thursday, October 4, night. A 21-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in the Bopdev Ghat area in Pune, Maharashtra. The incident has also sparked a political war in Maharashtra right before the assembly elections.


The woman had gone to the Bopdev Ghat area, where the duo was accosted by three men. The men, claiming to be working with the Human Rights Commission, first clicked the woman's pictures and then tied up her friend to a tree. The accused then took turns to rape her. The incident occurred around 11 PM.






The incident was reported to police at around 5 AM on Friday. So far, no arrest has been made, but a search for the accused is on. The Pune Police have deployed 10 teams to identify and trace the accused.


Joint Commissioner of Pune Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma said: "The incident occurred under the Kondhwa police station's jurisdiction... The accused took them to a secluded spot and tied up the woman's friend. The three then took turns to rape the woman. The victim is in hospital and we have recorded her statement." The woman and her friend are college students.


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Uddhav Sena Slams Shinde Government Over Pune Rape Case


The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) has lashed out at the Eknath Shinde government of Maharashtra, saying merely naming schemes for women won't be enough to protect them. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey told ABP News, "Criminals are no longer scared of the law... The Mahayuti government harps on its 'Ladli Behna Scheme', but can't protect the honour of our sisters; they can't provide security to our sisters. If we question this as the Opposition, they accuse us of politicising incidents." 


NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, too, targeted the government, saying "Maharashtra is not safe for women". "Incidents of violence against women are continuously increasing in Pune and across the state. The home department does not seem to be doing anything to stop these incidents. Unfortunately, it has to be said that Maharashtra is not safe for women. The government should arrest the accused in the said incident and take strict action against them," she said in a social media post.






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