21-year-old Allegedly Gang Raped in Pune, Police Intensify Manhunt for Suspects

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly gang raped by three people, and their male friend was physically assaulted in Pune on Friday. As per reports, the crime was committed in the Bopdev Ghar area on Thursday night. A police operation is underway to arrest the three unidentified suspects involved in the crime. Twenty-five teams of officers are on a search for the individuals linked to the incident. The police have also released sketches of two of the suspects and CCTV footage of the suspects has circulated widely on social media.

"As per preliminary details, the woman and her male friend had gone to the Bopdev Ghart area on late Thursday night where three unidentified persons allegedly raped her," said Ranjan Kumar Sharma, the additional commissioner of police. In response to the crime, police have dispatched a forensic team and a dog squad to the scene to collect evidence and work towards identifying the suspects.

According to reports, the suspects tied up the male friend of the female victim using his own clothes and belt before assaulting him. Investigations reveal that the three attackers, armed with machetes and bamboo sticks, stole jewelry from the woman and then allegedly raped her. They also threatened both victims with dire consequences if they disclosed any information about the incident. The police have released sketches of two of the suspects and are urging the public to assist in identifying and capturing them. "We have prepared sketches of two of the suspects on the basis of descriptions given by the male friend of the woman," said a police official.

The suspects reportedly restrained the woman's friend using his own clothes and belt and then took turns to rape her. After the attackers fled, the woman managed to untie her friend. The two then went to her home, where she lived with her sister, before ultimately visiting a private hospital in Kothrud. There, staff advised them to go to Sassoon Hospital for further assistance. Authorities became aware of the incident around 5 a.m. on Friday when the woman and her companion sought help at Sassoon General Hospital, a government facility in Pune.

The police have released three contact numbers—8691999689, 8275200947, and 9307545045—encouraging anyone with information about the recent assault case in Pune to come forward.

In the wake of the incident, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule has criticized Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who oversees the home department, for failing to ensure women's safety in Maharashtra. Sule called for Fadnavis's resignation, labeling the assault as "horrific" and expressing concern over the worsening law and order situation in the state, particularly regarding crimes against women under the Mahayuti government.

She remarked that Maharashtra police, once considered the best in the country, are now underperforming. Sule asserted that accountability lies with the leadership, not the police, and highlighted another troubling case in Badlapur, Thane district, where two minor girls were sexually abused by a sanitation worker.​