Maharashtra: Woman abducted, raped and dumped on road in Lonavala hill town; 1 held

A 23-year-old woman was allegedly abducted and raped in a moving car in Lonavala’s Tungarli area. A 35-year-old man, reportedly known to the victim, has been arrested. The case is being investigated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions

Mumbai: A 23-year-old woman was allegedly abducted, raped in a car and then thrown on a roadside in Lonavala hill town of Maharashtra’s Pune district, police said on Sunday.

The incident occurred on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday at Tungarli in Maval area of Lonavala, a popular tourist destination located around 80 km from Mumbai, an official said.

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The police have apprehended a 35-year-old man, a resident of Tungarli, in connection with the incident, he said. According to the woman’s complaint, she lives in the same locality and was walking home on Friday night.

A car stopped near her and a man forcibly took her inside. The accused then took her to an isolated place where she was allegedly raped in the moving car, the official said.

The victim alleged she was taken to various places in Tungarli and after being sexually assaulted repeatedly, she was thrown on a roadside in the wee hours of Saturday, he said.

The woman then approached the Lonavala City Police Station and lodged a complaint against the man, he said. Based on the complaint, a case was registered under sections 64(2)(m) (rape) and 138 (abduction) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the accused was apprehended, the official said.

The victim’s claims were being verified, he said. She initially claimed three unidentified men forcibly took her in the car and raped her, but during the probe, it came to light that there was only one man in the car, the official said. The probe also indicated the accused was known to the woman, he said.

Further probe into the case was underway, the police said.