In a shocking incident that occurred on Tuesday, an autorickshaw driver was apprehended by the police after allegedly attempting to rape a woman IT engineer in Pune on Tuesday at around 3.30 AM. The swift response from the victim and the police ensured the perpetrator's capture.
The accused has been identified as Aniket Nanasaheb Munjal, a 24-year-old resident of Shivchaitanya Nagar in Fursungi. The victim, an IT engineer, filed a complaint at the Wanwadi Police Station after the harrowing incident took place on Saswad Road, near the Kalepadal Railway Bridge.
According to the police, the victim had left her workplace in Hadapsar at around 3:30 AM on Tuesday and booked a rickshaw through an online service app to transport her home. She requested Munjal to drop her off at her residence, but she soon realized that he had taken a wrong route. Sensing something amiss, she asked him to change the route, leading Munjal to stop the rickshaw at a secluded location near the railway gate in the Kalepadal area.
It was at this point that Munjal allegedly attempted to molest the woman. Undeterred, the victim resisted his advances, which further escalated the situation. Displaying remarkable presence of mind, she immediately contacted the police control room and reported the incident. A team from the Wanwadi Police Station swiftly responded to the distress call and arrived at the scene.
Accused fled the scene and was caught later
Upon seeing the approaching police, the accused fled the scene, but the officers were able to apprehend him after a chase. Munjal was subsequently taken into custody and is now facing charges of attempted rape. Assistant Police Inspector Datta Prasad Shendge has been assigned to lead the investigation into the case.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikrant Deshmukh commended the alertness displayed by the victim and the prompt response of the police, emphasizing that their collective efforts led to the swift arrest of the accused.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)