Thane gangrape case accused held in Pune after year-long hunt
Thane (PTI): Police have arrested a 22-year-old man from Pune who had been absconding for more than a year after being accused in a gangrape and robbery case in Maharashtra’s Thane district, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Nagesh Keshav Gaikwad, was part of a group that allegedly confined a woman and sexually assaulted her under the pretext of getting her a job in November 2024, Naigaon police station's senior inspector Sanjay Hazare said.
The accused had been evading arrest by hiding his identity since the case was registered. Following a tip-off and technical surveillance, the police tracked him to Kamshet and took him into custody on Sunday, he said.
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The case dates back to November 27, 2024, when the victim went from here to Pune seeking employment. After missing an interview, she contacted her husband's friend Pawan Rajendra Prasad Sabbat (29), who promised to help her find work.
Sabbat then lured her to come to Mira Road in Thane, where he allegedly confined her in a room, the official said.
The investigation showed that Sabbat and two of his accomplices - Dhanraj Chavan (21) and Abhishek Pujari (22) - allegedly sexually assaulted the victim over several days. They also allegedly robbed the woman of her mobile phone, gold jewellery and cash, collectively valued at Rs 75,000, he said.
Sabbat also allegedly created a fake Instagram profile using the victim's name and uploaded her photographs to harass her.
Gaikwad was accused of molesting the victim and being involved in the robbery, Hazare said.
The Naigaon police had earlier arrested Sabbat, Chavan and Pujari.
"We have booked the accused under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections, including 64(2)(m) (rape), 309(1) (robbery), 70 (gang rape) and 75(1)(4) (sexual harassment), and relevant provisions of the Information Technology. During preliminary interrogation, Gaikwad has confessed to his involvement," Hazare said.
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Karnataka court sentences man to 20 years for sexual assault of minor girl
Mangaluru (Karnataka)(PTI): A fast-track special court here has sentenced a 50-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor girl.
The convict, identified as Abubakkar, was booked by the Bantwal Rural police station in under Sections 64(1) (rape) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant section of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to police, the incident dates back to March 29, 2025 when the accused sexually assaulted the minor girl in his neighbourhood and threatened her from disclosing about it.
The case was investigated by then Police Inspector Shivakumar B, who collected the necessary evidence and filed a charge sheet against the accused before the court.
After hearing the case, the District and Sessions Court (Fast Track Special Court-FTSC-2) in Mangaluru last week found the accused guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison along with a fine of Rs 50,000.
Special Public Prosecutor Sahana Devi represented the prosecution and argued the case before the court.
Head Constable Prashanth Kumar and Police Constable Santosh Jadhav of Bantwal Rural Police Station assisted in the investigation and court proceedings, police said.
