Pune (PTI): An unidentified man allegedly raped a 22-year-old woman after gaining access to her apartment in Pune by posing as a courier delivery executive, police said on Thursday.
The accused also clicked a selfie on the victim's phone and left a message on it, warning her not to inform about the crime to anyone as he had taken her pictures and would share them on social media, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 5) Rajkumar Shinde said.
The incident took place at around 7.30 pm on Wednesday at a housing society in Kondhwa area of Maharashtra's Pune city and search was on for the culprit, as per the police.
The victim, who works in a private firm, was alone in her apartment as her brother had gone out of town, the official said.
The man came to her house posing as a courier delivery agent and gained entry. He asked for a pen to sign (a document) and as she turned her back to him, he came inside the house and latched the door, the official said.
"The woman does not remember anything (further) as she gained consciousness around 8:30 pm. The woman then informed her relatives and subsequently police were alerted," Shinde said.
The man left a message on her phone that he had taken photos of her, and if she revealed about the incident to anyone, he would make the pictures viral, the official said.
There is a possibility that the accused used some substance to make her unconscious. The police were verifying if any spray was used, he said.
The face of the accused has been captured in one of the CCTV cameras in the area and efforts were on to trace him, the official said.
A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 64 (punishment for rape), 77 (voyeurism) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation), the police added.
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New Delhi (PTI): Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag was on Thursday fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into "disrepute" after being caught vaping on camera during the IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
Parag's actions during the Royals' chase on Tuesday night drew condemnation on social media.
PTI has learned that on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.
The Level 1 offence carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point.
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"Riyan admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by the Match Referee, Amit Sharma," said the IPL in a statement.
"The BCCI is also exploring other options to initiate proceedings for stringent action against the erring team, its officials and players to ensure that the reputation of IPL remains intact," the statement added.
When PTI reached out to BCCI secretary Devajit Saika on possible action on Rajasthan Royals, he said: "As it is written clearly in the statement, we are exploring what action to take on the team. It is not decided yet."
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
"Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20," the IPL Code of Conduct states.
"By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
"When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental, shall be considered.
"Further, the person lodging the Report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lays (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature (and hence a Level 1 Offence) up to conduct of an extremely serious nature (and hence a Level 4 Offence)."
Since it is a Level 1 offence there was no need for a hearing.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings. Royals won the game to end Kings' unbeaten run in the tournament.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
Royals next host Delhi Capitals in Jaipur on Friday night.
