Government official gang raped in Pune, four men held

PUNE - A senior government official from Pune was allegedly raped by four men while she was returning from a pilgrimage with her family. The accused have been arrested, police said Sunday.

The woman, a resident of Pune, was returning with her husband and son from the Vaidyanath temple in Parli village of Maharashtra’s Beed district when the incident took place April 11 in Dhanora village, about 300 km from Mumbai. This was the third such incident in the region in the last fortnight.

“While returning to Pune, the family stopped for snacks at a highway food joint. Accused Dipak Jawale saw the family and followed them in a hired Indica car with three accomplices. They robbed and assaulted the family and when the husband lost consciousness, they dragged the woman out of the car and raped her repeatedly,” a police officer told IANS.

“They left the woman naked on the road and fled. A village woman draped her in a saree and carried the victim to her car,” the officer said.

The family filed a complaint Thursday, four days after the incident, as they were scared, the officer said.

“The four accused, notorious for their activities, were arrested Thursday. Necessary action will be taken against them,” Beed Superintendent of Police R.P. Sengaonkar said.

“Initially the woman lodged a complaint of robbery and assault only but later she gave us more information. She told us she was raped,” he added.

The incident came to light Saturday after a TV channel reported the incident.