17-yr-old girl sexually assaulted on Pune-Solapur highway: Assailants threw chilli powder at van occupants, threatened to kill them

The Pune Rural police launched an extensive manhunt for the suspects and sexual assault. A total of eight teams have been formed for the probe. The incident took place around 4.15 am on Monday, around 10 kms from Bhigwan town.
At the time of the incident, the driver stopped the vehicle by the side of the road to relieve himself. Two unidentified men approached the car. Brandishing sharp weapons, they robbed three women of her gold ornaments worth Rs 1.5 lakh. During the attack, one of the men dragged the girl away behind a tea stall structure and sexually assaulted her, threatening her with a knife. The two men had covered their faces with masks.

“Investigation has revealed that the assailants threw chilli powder at the occupants of the vehicle as an irritant. They threatened to kill people. The girl who was sexually abused after being taken away was also threatened at knifepoint,” said Sandeep Singh Gill, Superintendent of Police for Pune Rural. “Multiple teams are working from various angles,” he added.

Officials said that eight teams, comprising close 75 officers and personnel, from the local police station and the local crime branch of the Pune Rural police are working on the various leads. On Monday evening, the police started to question some criminals on police records from the region. A probe suggested that the occupants of the vehicle did raise an alarm as the two suspects targeted them. But since vehicles on the highway were travelling at a high speed, passersby could have assumed something suspicious, officials said.