Pune: Private bus driver rapes 21-year-old woman in his vehicle; arrested

PUNE In yet another shocking incident, a 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped twice by a driver of a private tourist bus in his vehicle

PUNE In yet another shocking incident, a 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped twice by a driver of a private tourist bus in his vehicle. The incident reportedly took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when the driver took the woman to a secluded road lane near Laxminarayan theatre in Swargate .

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped twice by a driver of a private tourist bus in his vehicle. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

The accused driver identified as Navnath Shivaji Bhong (38) was arrested within two hours after the victim and her husband reported the crime to Swargate police station officials.

According to police, the victim and her husband married a year ago and hail from Khamgaon in Maharashtra’s Washim district. They arrived in Pune a few days ago in search of work. The couple worked as labourers and did petty jobs to make a living.

On June 11 (Saturday), the couple worked at two hotels at Katraj chowk and at night went to Swargate bus depot searching for a place to stay, the police said. Bhong who had parked his private bus alongside the Swargate canals noticed the couple and started a conversation with them. He got to know from them that they were looking for shelter, and offered that they sleep in his bus at night as it was safe and secure. The couple agreed to sleep in the tempo traveller bus,the police added.

At around 3.30 am (Sunday), the husband wanted to get out of the vehicle to urinate. The driver took him to a public urinal at the Swargate bus stand. When the husband stepped inside the public toilet block, the driver ran back to his bus, started it and took the woman to another isolated spot, said the police.

He allegedly thrashed and threatened to kill her, after which he raped her twice, the complainant stated.

Bhong then allegedly forced the woman out of his vehicle. The woman later narrated the incident to her husband and the couple approached the police and lodged a rape complaint.

Police inspector Ashok Indalkar, incharge of Swargate police station said that the detection branch was directed to probe the case. “We examined the CCTV footage at Swargate police station in which we saw a fast moving bus heading towards Katraj. The police patrol team tailed the bus and after realising that he was being followed by police, the driver tried to speed further to escape. He was accosted near Katraj, brought down and was immediately taken into custody and brought to the police station. He has confessed that he had committed the act and was immediately arrested,” he added.

A first information report (FIR) under sections 363 (kidnapping) ,376 (rape), 376 (2)(n), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was lodged against the accused who was produced before a city court.

GFX

Headline: The crime-timeline

June 11: A couple look to rest at Swargate bus depot after working at two hotels in Katraj

June 11: A private bus driver offers them to sleep in his bus

June 12 (3.30am): Husband steps out to urinate. Driver speeds away with vehicle and the woman

June 12: Driver thrashes, threatens woman and rapes her twice

June 12: Couple files complaint at Swargate police station

June 12: Police tail driver, arrest him within two hours of complaint