Pune: Second Suspect in Bopdev Ghat Gang Rape Case Arrested from Uttar Pradesh
Pune, 15th October 2024: The Crime Branch team arrested the second suspect in the Bopdev Ghat gang rape case from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday (14th October). With this arrest, two accused have been apprehended, while the search continues for a third suspect.
The arrested individual has been identified as Akhtar Ali Sheikh (28), a resident of Kondhwa and originally from Prayagraj. He worked for a scrap dealer in Kondhwa. Earlier, another suspect, Ravindra Kumar Kanojia, also from Kondhwa, was arrested, and the court has remanded him in police custody until Tuesday (15th October). The search for the third accused is ongoing.
In their investigation, police teams scrutinized 450 criminals across 45 villages and settlements near Bopdev Ghat. Known offenders, previously charged with serious crimes such as robbery, molestation, and rape, were questioned in the hilly areas of Pune district. A total of 60 crime branch teams were deployed to track down the suspects. They collected data on 50,000 mobile users who had passed through Bopdev Ghat. Based on technical analysis, Kanojia was arrested on 10th October from the Yewalewadi area.
Further investigation revealed that Akhtar Sheikh had fled to his hometown near Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Under the direction of Deputy Commissioner of Police Nikhil Pingle, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Vijay Kumbhar and including officers Prashant Sande, Sunil Pawar, Surendra Jagdale, Pawan Bhosale, Sangram Shingare, Saidoba Bhojrao, Dilip Gore, and Amol Raut, traveled to Uttar Pradesh, where they successfully apprehended Sheikh.
Police reports indicate that Sheikh had married three times, and his wife resides in the Prayagraj area. After the Bopdev Ghat incident, Sheikh allegedly fled to Uttar Pradesh via Nagpur on 4th October.
