In a distressing incident coming from Pune, a 14-year-old girl was abducted and & gang raped in city on August 31, 2021. So far, as many as 8 people, including 2 railway employees have been arrested in connection to the matter.
The incident comes just weeks after another Dalit minor was allegedly gangraped and cremated in Delhi which led to uproar and outrage in the national capital.
Details
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Haryana, Delhi, Goa, Odisha, Pune – the list of gang-rapes inflicted on minors are endless and a cause of massive concern. The Haryana rape victims were 14 and 16 years old, the Delhi victim was 9-years-old, the Goa victims were reported to be 14 years old.
The National Crime Record Bureau’s 2018 report stated that the year saw as many as 39,827 cases under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act). To put the data into perspective, as many as 109 children were sexually abused in India in 2018.
In 2020 and 2021, the numbers may have surged, given the pandemic induced lockdowns which forced people to not move around and stay cooped up.
Also Read: Mysuru Gangrape – No Arrests, Survivor Critical, Minister’s Shocking Remarks – All You Need to Know
The Facts of the Matter
In another such incident, a 14-year-old girl was kidnapped and gang raped by an auto driver and other accomplices earlier last week. The girl, who has suffered mental trauma, is now under observation at an intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, after a week-long investigation, the Pune police have been able to arrest as many as 8 persons allegedly involved in crime. The alleged accused also includes 2 employees of the Indian Railways.
It should be noted that the manhunt is still not over as the Pune police is still on the lookout for at least 4-5 more people that may have been involved in the heinous act.
Family Files Missing Complaint
According to reports, the police swung into action after it received a missing person complaint which was lodged by the survivor’s family. The police got to know the last known whereabouts of the girl. The girl had taken to the Pune Railway Station on August 31 and was missing since then.
Also Read: Mysuru Gangrape Case: 5 Persons from Tamil Nadu, Including 1 Juvenile Arrested
Girl Was Lured by Auto Driver
Reportedly, the girl was lured by an auto-driver who told her that the train she wanted to get on board was not scheduled till later next day. The auto-driver then convinced the girl to help her find some accommodation, and had her sit inside the auto.
Survivor Was Taken to Multiple Secluded Spots
What followed was a display of human depravity at its worst. The auto-driver took the girl to a secluded spot where he called up his partners-in-crime. The girl was then taken to multiple secluded spots across the city and was gangraped several times.
From lodges, places with lush cover, to even the Pune railways office, the minor girl was sexually assaulted at multiple places.
Meanwhile, acting on the missing person’s complaint, the police went on to register a kidnapping complaint – as the subject of abduction was not an adult but a minor.
Girl Gets Released by Accused, Rushed to Hospital
4 days after being subjected to brutal assault, the girl was released by the accused. The girl somehow was traced by the police to have been somewhere outside Pune. On September 5, the girl was rushed to a hospital.
Also Read: “Just Scold Him”: MP Wife Asks Police to Not Arrest Husband Who Sew Her Genitals
Police Acts on Lead – Nabs Auto Driver, Railway Employees
The police meanwhile acted on leads gathered from multiple sources zeroed down on the accused. They landed on the security footage at the Railway premises and hence, arrested 8 people so far. The 8 accused includes the auto driver, 2 railway employees and an AC repairman.
The accused have been booked under multiple relevant sections of the IPC. This includes IPC Section 364 (Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), Section 376 DA (Gang rape of woman under 16 years of age) and Section 377 (Unnatural offences).
Further the accused have also been booked under relevant POCSO Act Sections.
