Following the recent Swargate bus depot rape, another incident has sparked outrage in Pune where a young woman was raped within the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station limits by an acquaintance, Siddhant Randhir. The victim alleges ongoing threats and harassment on social media. A case has been registered against Randhir at the Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, but he remains at large even after twenty days. He continues to threaten the victim, sending obscene photos to her.
Police have stated they are making efforts to arrest Randhir and will take strict action. This incident, coupled with the recent rape, has ignited public anger and raised serious concerns about women's safety in Pune.
According to police, the case was initially registered at the Sinhagad police station and transferred to Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station on February 26. A female officer is leading the investigation, which includes a technical analysis of Randhir's phone. However, the investigation has been hampered by the phone being switched off.
Senior Police Inspector Savalaram Salgaonkar of Bharati Vidyapeeth Police Station stated that they are pursuing leads despite the technical challenges and will arrest Randhir soon. He added that charges have been increased due to the threats and that strict action will be taken. Despite the difficulties in locating Randhir because of his switched-off phone, technical investigations are ongoing and police are confident of an imminent arrest.