Pune Police Arrest Stationery Shop Owner for Alleged Gunpoint Rape
Police in Pune have taken into custody a 35-year-old stationery shop owner from Daund taluka on serious charges of rape committed at gunpoint. The arrest follows a detailed complaint filed by a 32-year-old woman who alleges the horrific assault occurred after the accused offered her a lift while she was stranded near Kurkumbh on the Pune-Solapur highway.
Details of the Incident and Police Action
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural) Bapuraa Dadas confirmed the arrest, stating, "We have arrested the suspect based on the survivor's complaint that he raped her at gunpoint. However, we are yet to recover the firearm alleged to have been used by the suspect." The case has been officially registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) along with relevant sections of the Atrocities Act at the Daund police station.
A local court has ordered the remand of the shopowner in police custody until March 31, allowing investigators to proceed with their inquiry. DSP Dadas, who is leading the investigation, provided a chronological account of the events leading to the arrest.
Sequence of Events on March 25
According to police statements, the incident unfolded on March 25 when the woman, a resident of Indapur taluka, learned that her brother was harassing their mother in Pimpri Chinchwad. In response, she traveled to Kurkumbh in a pick-up vehicle and found herself standing near a bridge along the busy Pune-Solapur highway, desperately seeking transportation to reach her mother.
The accused, who was driving his car, approached the woman and offered to drop her in Pimpri Chinchwad, claiming he was heading towards Pune. The survivor's complaint details that after driving approximately 3 kilometers, the shopowner abruptly stopped the car at a secluded location and attempted to overpower her.
When the woman resisted his advances, the situation escalated dramatically. The complaint states that the accused pulled out a firearm, threatened to kill her, and then forcibly dragged her out of the vehicle before committing the rape. "The woman also stated in her complaint that the accused beat her and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone," DSP Dadas emphasized.
Aftermath and Investigation Breakthrough
Following the assault, the accused fled the scene, leaving the traumatized woman to find her way back to her home in Indapur taluka. Demonstrating remarkable courage, she approached the police the very next day to lodge a formal complaint.
A critical piece of evidence that led to the swift arrest was the car's registration number, which the survivor had meticulously noted down during the ordeal. "She had noted down the car's registration number. We traced and arrested the accused with the help of the number," DSP Dadas explained, highlighting the importance of this detail in the investigation.
The Pune Rural police are continuing their investigation, focusing on recovering the alleged firearm and gathering further evidence to strengthen the case against the accused.
