Shocking Details Emerge In Rape Of ‘Rescued’ Girl From Pune Railway Station, GRP Appeals More Victims To Lodge Complaint

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, 7th November 2023: The Government Railway Police (GRP) is investigating a harrowing rape case of a minor girl in the Railway Quarters on Tadiwala Road.

Two more accused, identified as Karan Rathore (30) and Sushmita Kasbe (24), have been arrested in connection with the case. This brings the total number of arrests to three, though the main accused, RPF head constable Anil Pawar, remains at large. Disturbingly, the victim, a minor girl, was subjected to days of sexual assault under the guise of rescue, with money extorted from her boyfriend.

Rathore and Kasbe are accused of unlawfully confining the minor girl. Investigations reveal that Anil Pawar, the prime accused, operated an NGO named Siddharth Multipurpose Society from the railway quarters. This NGO, registered in the name of Pawar’s wife, allegedly extorted money from the families of girls who had run away from home. Pawar hired private individuals, paying them cash salaries ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000, to trace and locate these girls.

Pune GRP disclosed the discovery of a register containing the names of 462 individuals. These names correspond to those who were purportedly housed in the railway quarters under the pretext of rescue by the NGO. Contacting their relatives, Pawar’s organization allegedly collected money from these individuals. The GRP suspects that the actual number of victims may exceed those recorded in the register, as it contains the name of the victim’s lover, not the victim herself.

Violations of Guidelines and Lack of Security Measures
According to GRP officials, the building housing the Siddharth Multipurpose Society lacked essential security measures such as CCTV surveillance. Furthermore, the NGO failed to adhere to any guidelines related to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC). An alarming detail is the accused Pawar’s consumption of alcohol in the NGO office. The GRP believe that there might be additional victims who have refrained from reporting due to familial or societal pressures.

Shrikant Dhivare, Superintendent of Police (GRP, Pune) emphasized that the investigation is thorough and encompasses all angles. Action will be taken against those found involved. Dhivare appealed victims who have not lodged complaints to contact Pune GRP, assuring that their names and addresses will be kept confidential.