The Warje Malwadi Police in Pune have uncovered a gang involved in targeting young men through a gay dating application, luring them to isolated locations, assaulting them, and robbing them. Acting swiftly within a few hours of the complaint, the police detained a minor and arrested three accused identified as Om Ganesh Waghmare, 20, from Warje Malwadi, Ganesh Uttam Mane, 27, from Akash Nagar in Warje, and Jagdish Ramu Pawar, 23, from Shivane. According to investigators, the gang used fake identities on the dating platform to gain the trust of victims before trapping them. The case has raised concerns regarding crimes linked to online dating platforms in Pune city.
The incident came to light after a 25-year-old man from the Karvenagar area approached the police. The victim had reportedly become acquainted with one of the accused through a gay dating application. On the night of April 28, a minor suspect allegedly invited the youth to meet near D-Mart in Karvenagar. After meeting him, the accused took the victim on a motorcycle ride under the pretext of roaming around the city. He was then brought to a deserted location where three more accomplices arrived shortly afterward. The gang falsely accused the victim of visiting the area with inappropriate intentions before launching a violent attack on him with stones, kicks, and punches.
Following the assault, the accused allegedly snatched the victim’s mobile phone and forced him to transfer Rs 8,600 into their bank account. They also removed a silver chain from his neck before fleeing the spot. After receiving information about the crime, Warje Malwadi Police immediately launched a technical investigation and activated local informants to trace the suspects. Police managed to detain the prime accused, Om Waghmare, from the Atulnagar Chowk area within a short period. During interrogation, details about the remaining accused emerged, leading to the arrest of all those involved in the case. The investigation is currently being led by Police Sub-Inspector Shankar Patil.