Woman raped by rickhaw driver & his friend; accused held

A 23-year-old woman was allegedly raped by a rickshaw driver and his friend in Kondhwa area in the city, police said today.

The incident took place on Wednesday night.

Based on the woman's complaint, Kondhwa police arrested the rickshaw driver, Balaji Maruti Shinde (31), and his friend, Satish Jaypal Mane (23).

The alleged incident took place after the woman boarded Shinde's rickshaw from Kondhwa's NIBM Road area.

According to police, the woman is a divorcee and she currently stays with her parents in Yerwada area.

On the night of the alleged crime, the woman had gone to Kondhwa to meet her former husband following a fight with her younger brother, a senior police officer said.
 

"After she failed to meet her husband, she took a rickshaw. In her statement, the woman claimed that Shinde called Mane and informed him that she was alone in the rickshaw. Soon, Mane reached the spot and took her to Siddharth Nagar area, where he raped her," the officer said.

"The woman also said that after Mane, Shinde took her to Hadapsar area, where he raped her. After sexually assaulting her, they called their friend, who molested her in the rickshaw before dropping her near Camp area early on Thursday," the officer said.

Meanwhile, the family member of the woman had approached Yerwada police and registered a missing person report.

Early on Thursday, some policemen spotted her walking alone on the street. When they inquired with her, she narrated the incident to them, following which the accused were held.

The arrested duo have been sent to police custody for seven days and search is on to nab the alleged molester.