Bopdev Ghat gang-rape case: One arrested, search on to nab 2 other accused

Pune police have arrested one accused in the gang-rape incident that took place at Bopdev Ghat on October 3 night

PUNE The Pune police have arrested one accused in the gang-rape incident that took place at Bopdev Ghat on October 3 night.

Pune police have arrested one accused in the gang-rape incident that took place at Bopdev Ghat on October 3 night. (HT FILE)

“We are actively searching for two more on a war footing. Our teams analysed over 700 CCTV footages to identify the accused,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said in the presence of deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis at the event in city where the latter inaugurated various projects under the jurisdiction of the Pune police commissionerate.

The gang-rape case was registered at Kondhwa Police Station.

In a meticulous operation, Kondhwa police and crime branch teams at around 4 am on Friday detained the 27-year-old resident of Undri and hails from Madhya Pradesh. Police said the detained accused was involved in molestation, robbery and theft cases reported in the rural parts of the district.

“The three accused are friends and record criminals. They are labourers putting up at a construction site,” Kumar said.

Fadnavis said, “I came to known that police used advanced technology of CCTV cameras to nab the accused.”

Kumar said, “Will install CCTVs, set up streetlight facility, place public address system at sensitive locations across the city.”

Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, said, “Prima facie it seems that on the day of the incident, the accused were under the influence of alcohol and visited the Bopdev ghat area to commit theft.”

Meanwhile, Pune police had released sketches of two suspects in connection with the alleged gang rape of the 21-year-old girl, an event management student, at the Bopdev Ghat area on October 3.

In a release, the police have appealed to the public to inform them on the following numbers: 8691999689 (Vinay Patankar, Senior Police Inspector, Kondhwa Police Station), 8275200947/9307545045 (Yuvraj Hande, Police Inspector, Crime Branch Unit 5), and 02026122880 (Control Room, Pune City Police).

As per the police, the girl had gone to the ghat with her friend, when she was allegedly raped by three unknown accused at around 11 pm.

However, the incident was reported to police at around 5 am on Friday. The police formed 10 teams of the Crime Branch and Detective Branch for the search and arrest of the accused, as per Sharma.

A case was registered at Kondhwa police station under Sections 70(1), 126(2), 115(2), 309(6), 352, 351 (2), (3), of the BNS and Sections 4, 25 of the Arms act and Sections 37(1), 135 of the Maharashtra Police act against three unidentified individuals.

Following the incident, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said that it was a very infuriating incident and questioned the safety of women in Pune and across the state.

She further criticised the state home department for not taking any action to stop such incidents.

“Very infuriating! What is going on in Pune? The incident of gang rape of a girl in Bopdev Ghat has come to light. 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,” Sule said in a post in X.