Pune: Auto driver rapes woman, two constables suspended for negligence of duty

Around 10 pm on Sunday, she hired the rickshaw to go to Sangvi police station to file a police complaint. However, the staff on duty asked the woman to return home as she was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and approach the New Sangvi police Chowki the next day.

However, the woman was eager to file the complaint that very day and asked the auto-rickshaw driver to take her to the New Sangvi police chowki immediately. He then allegedly drove her to a godown at a secluded place and raped her. Stating that it was the responsibility of on-duty staffers at the police station to make sure that the woman was escorted home, specially considering her condition, an inquiry was ordered into the matter. Assistant commissioner of police conducted the inquiry.

Joint commissioner of police Sunil Ramanand said, “The inquiry into the matter has been completed and two staffers present at the police station would be placed under suspension and further departmental inquiry would be conducted.” The senior police officers said that the names of the two staffers would be given out only after the final departmental inquiry is conducted.

A senior police officer said, “It has come forth in the inquiry that the station duty officer, who is a head constable, and the police constable, who were on duty, should have listened to what the victim woman was trying to tell and make a woman police staffer talk to her to understand the seriousness of the problem. They should also have sent a woman police staffer to accompany her back home. These things did not happen.”

Within hours of the incident, Sangvi police had arrested the rickshaw driver, Umesh Ravindra Sarkariya (28), a resident of New Sangvi. The victim had given his description to the police. Following this, police teams had zeroed-in on the auto-rickshaw drivers operating in Sangvi area during night time and had nabbed Sarkaraiya.