After 9 Days, Pune Police Detain Three Suspects in Bopdev Ghat Gang Rape
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 11th October 2024: In a significant breakthrough, Pune Police have detained three suspects in connection with the brutal gang rape of a 21-year-old woman at Bopdev Ghat. The incident, which occurred on the night of 3rd October 2024, involved the victim and her male friend, who were attacked during a late-night walk.
The attackers tied up the man and then gang-raped the young woman. The case has sparked outrage and prompted a massive investigation across the state. The three suspects, one of them from Jabalpur and another from Nagpur, and work as labourers. They have many crimes including theft registered against them in the past.
Following the incident, the accused attempted to evade capture by misleading authorities. According to Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, the suspects tried to avoid detection by manipulating CCTV footage and moving through less-monitored areas. After the assault, the group first ascended to the top of Bopdev Ghat before descending and traveling to Khed Shivapur in an effort to break the CCTV surveillance chain. They travelled over 80 km just to cover a distance of 20 km. They had switched off their phones around 10 pm before reaching Bopdev Ghat and switched on only in the morning. They had thought that the woman will not approach police. However, after learning about the case in the morning, they fled from Pune.
The Pune Police deployed 60 teams, including 700 officers, to track down the culprits. The investigation spanned over nine days, and despite early difficulties, the police made progress by gathering technical data, including information on 50,000 mobile phone users who had passed through the Bopdev Ghat area in the last 15 days. Poor mobile connectivity in the Ghat region slowed the investigation, but officers worked tirelessly, reviewing CCTV footage. Police had also used a drone to know all the routes leading to Bopdev Ghat.
The police examined 450 hotels and 40 villages, inspecting local businesses such as roadside hotels, dhabas, liquor vendors, and illegal traders for any potential leads. The suspects had attempted to cover their tracks, but one of the three was eventually detained in the Yewlewadi area. The other two suspects were apprehended in Nagpur, with their interrogation still underway.
The accused earned their livelihood by doing odd jobs. They switched off their mobile phones around 10 pm before committing the crime at Bopdev Ghat. They had consumed beer. After that, they were preparing for the robbery. At that moment, they spotted a young man and a woman. Seeing that no one was around, they attacked both of them. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar informed that the young girl was gang-raped by the accused.
The suspected accused were captured on footage from a petrol pump in the Amrai Vasti area of Saswad. Later, when the police reviewed the area’s surveillance cameras, five people were seen drinking alcohol at a liquor shop. One of them was a criminal on police record. A police team tracked him down, and upon interrogation, he provided information about three other accused in the case. During the technical investigation, it was discovered that one of the accused was at Bopdev Ghat. The accused was eventually caught.
State Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while inaugurating seven new police stations in Pune, lauded the Pune Police for their determined efforts. “One suspect has been arrested, and two have been detained. The police are conducting a thorough investigation,” Fadnavis said, commending their persistence despite the complexities of the case. He further noted that the police’s work in identifying and interrogating individuals with histories of robbery, molestation, and rape in the hills and ghats of Pune district had led to the arrests.
The Bopdev Ghat case has triggered widespread public anger, with many questioning the initial delays in the investigation. In response to the outcry, sketches of the suspects were released, and a reward of ₹10 lakh was announced for information leading to their capture. The case is still under investigation, but with the suspects now in custody, Pune Police hope to swiftly bring justice to the victim.
