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‘I went on my own’: Video sparks twist in Bhigwan woman abduction case
The incident occurred on the afternoon of February 17 in the Swami Chincholi area near Bhigwan in Pune district
Amid protests by right-wing outfits and a bandh observed in Bhigwan on Wednesday over the alleged abduction of a 21-year-old woman, a purported video surfaced on social media on Wednesday evening in which she claimed of leaving on her own—contradicting the allegations made earlier by her family.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of February 17 in the Swami Chincholi area near Bhigwan in Pune district. According to a complaint filed by the woman’s parents at the Bhigwan Police Station, a group of men intercepted the woman while she was with her mother and brother. The complaint alleged that chilli powder was thrown into the eyes of her mother and brother, their belongings snatched, and the 21-year-old was forcibly pulled into a vehicle and driven away. Based on the complaint, police registered a case of abduction.
A day later, a video began circulating on social media showing the woman with an unidentified man. In the clip, she is heard stating that she had left of her own free will and was in a long-term relationship with Zaheer Haroon Sheikh. She denied that any chilli powder was used during the incident, as alleged by her parents.
Police sources confirmed that the woman and the man belong to different religious communities, a factor that has contributed to tension in the area.
According to the Pune rural police, Zaheer and Ayaan Haroon Sheikh, residents of the same locality as the woman, have been identified as the alleged accused in the case. Mobile call records and message histories are examined to verify the nature of the relationship and the sequence of events.
The woman, a third-year pharmacy student from Bhigwan, lost her father during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sources said the woman’s family was preparing for her marriage, scheduled for February 22.
Sandeep Gill, superintendent of police, Pune Rural, said, “The incident occurred at around 3.30 pm within the jurisdiction of Bhigwan Police Station. Since the incident, multiple teams have been deployed, and technical inputs are being analysed. We are probing whether there was prior contact between them. We have explained the factual position to community members and their representatives to prevent spread of misinformation.”
Following the incident, people gathered outside the police station demanding the arrest of the accused and the safe return of the woman. Protesters blocked parts of the Pune–Solapur highway, briefly disrupting traffic.
BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar claimed the video was recorded under coercion. “Someone forcefully shot the video and circulated it to police officers and relatives. After speaking with the family, we organised a Hindu Janakrosh Morcha in Bhigwan to protest such incidents,” he said. Padalkar, along with MLA Sangram Jagtap, later visited Bhigwan and met police officials.
