A trip to Pandharpur ahead of Ashadhi Wari turned tragic for a minor girl when she was kidnapped and assaulted by one of the two bikers early Monday morning near Bhigwan on the Pune-Solapur highway.
The girl from Junnar was on a trip to Pandharpur ahead of Ashadhi Wari, which will be celebrated on July 6, reported TOI.
The group consisted of 7 people and included members from two families. Around 4:15 am near Bhigwan on the Pune-Solapur highway, the group was stopped by two men riding a bike. The private van they were traveling in had 4 minors—2 girls and 2 boys—along with 2 senior citizens and their driver.
When the driver felt sleepy, he stopped the vehicle at a tea stall on the highway. The assailants came and threatened the families with a koyta.
They robbed one of the women of her gold ornaments. During this attack, one of the men dragged away the minor girl and sexually assaulted her.
Search underway for rapists
The incident happened in front of the tea stall, but the 73-year-old tea stall owner could not recall anything during the inquiry, unable to remember all relevant details due to his age. The incident has sent shockwaves in the district as it took place just ahead of the Wari. A case has been registered at the Daund police station of Pune rural police under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 64, 309(6), 351(2), 3(5), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act Sections 4 and 6, along with Arms Act Section 4, 25, for further investigation. Meanwhile, Pune rural police Superintendent of Police (SP) Sandeep Singh Gill has constituted multiple teams, including officers of the local crime branch unit, to nab the accused.
