Pune auto driver held for ‘raping’ woman passenger

Police have arrested the autorickshaw driver, who has been identified as Umesh Ravindra Sarkariya (28), a resident of Aundh Hospital Vasahat in New Sangvi. An offence of rape has been registered with the Sangvi police station. A departmental inquiry has also been ordered against the staff of the Sangvi police station.

[related-post]

Police said that the victim was in a live-in relation with a man for the last seven years. She had a quarrel with him over the phone around 10 pm on Sunday, and he reportedly threatened to harm her. Following this quarrel, she took an autorickshaw from a spot near her residence in New Sangvi to file a complaint against her partner at the Sangvi police station. The police, however, found her to be under the influence of alcohol and asked her to return home, and come the next day at New Sangvi police chowki to file the complaint. However, the woman wanted to file the complaint immediately. She asked the autorickshaw driver to take her to the New Sangvi police chowki.

Instead, the auto driver reportedly took her to a godown at a secluded place and allegedly raped her. Police said, on questioning, it was found that the woman cried out for help but nobody came to her rescue. The driver then left her at an isolated spot in the Army area in Pune Camp around 1.30 am on Monday. The woman then called the police control room. On reaching the police station, she gave details about the auto driver. The cops then launched a search operation, eventually arresting Sarkariya. “We arrested the autorickshaw driver within a few hours after we got the description from the victim. She remembered that he was a tall person with wheatish complexion. Our teams zeroed-in on the autorickshaw drivers operating in Sangvi area during night time and subsequently, nabbed the accused,” said senior police inspector Dilip Naukudkar of the Sangvi police station.

He was produced before the court on Tuesday and remanded to police custody for further investigation. A senior police officer said that medical reports of the victim show that she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. “But the cops at the Sangvi police station should have ensured that she reached home safely considering that she was under the influence of alcohol. It was night time, so the police should have escorted her home, which did not happen. Had the cops done it, the incident would not have taken place,” Naukudkar said.

When contacted, Pune police commissioner K K Pathak said they are looking into the matter and action will be taken if they find lapses. Deputy commissioner of police (zone III) Basavraj Teli confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated against the police station staff. “Assistant commissioner of police of the Chaturshrungi division is conducting the inquiry. Action will be taken against the guilty officials,” said Teli.