Pune News: The Pune Police have arrested one of the three accused in connection with a gangrape of case a 21-year-old woman, the police informed on Friday. The incident, which occurred on October 4 in the Bopdev Ghat area on the outskirts of Pune, has sparked outrage, particularly from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
"This was a very sensitive, sensational and grave offence and it was our responsibility to detect it as soon as possible. We had to do this because it was a blind case. There was no CCTV footage of any kind in that area or in that premises, there was no mobile connectivity, there was no lighting in that premises, and there was no habitation in that area, we had many limitations but our Crime Branch and Zone 5 Police worked very hard and expanded that area in concentric circles and did a very elaborate search of the CCTV footage," Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar stated, as quoted by news agency ANI.
He added, "Today in an early morning operation, one accused was picked up. After the interrogation and the names of all the three accused were understood and the investigation started. We are confident that we will arrest the remaining 2 accused as soon as possible..."
According to initial reports, the college student, hailing from Gujarat, had gone sightseeing with a friend late on Thursday evening when the two were accosted by three unidentified individuals in the poorly lit Bopdev Ghat area, news agency IANS reported. The assailants allegedly threatened the young couple, physically assaulted the boy, and tied him to a tree, while the girl screamed for help. The trio then brutally attacked the girl and raped her in turns before fleeing the scene on their motorcycle in the early hours of Friday.
The girl’s friend, who is from Jalgaon, managed to untie himself and took her to Sassoon General Hospital for treatment. The police were informed around 5 a.m., Senior Police Inspector Vinay Patankar told IANS. Officers rushed to the hospital to record the victim's statement and registered a case. Inspector Patankar added that the girl’s family was notified.
Later on Friday, Commissioner Kumar visited the crime scene, while Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma oversaw the investigation. The police have formed 10 teams to locate the remaining suspects and have released sketches of the accused, urging the public to assist in their capture.
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The incident has provoked sharp reactions from MVA leaders. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar expressed outrage, stating, "On one hand, there is the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana', and on the other, the continuing atrocities on women." He criticised the ruling government for its handling of women’s safety in the state.
Congress Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar also lashed out, stating that the government is more focused on "branding themselves in the name of the 'Ladki Bahin' scheme" instead of addressing the surge in crimes against women. Supriya Sule, NCP Working President, called the incident another example of Maharashtra’s growing unsafe environment for women, urging the government to swiftly apprehend the accused and ensure severe punishment.
In a separate incident, locals have reported that a young woman was recently threatened and molested at Bopdev Ghat by a man claiming to be a human rights activist. The Forum for IT Employees Maharashtra also highlighted concerns over safety in the area, referencing a recent attack on an IT couple on the Nande-Lawale road near Hinjewadi. The group has called for a police check-post in the vicinity, warning people to avoid travelling late at night.
This attack follows another disturbing case in Pune where a school van driver was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two six-year-old girls in the Wanwadi area on October 3.