Teen girl sexually assaulted, 3 women robbed after their car stops on highway in Pune

Pune, Jun 30 (PTI) A 17-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in a car and three women occupants robbed of gold ornaments by two motorbike-borne unidentified persons in the wee hours of Monday on a highway in Daund in Pune district of Maharashtra, a police official said.

The incident took place around 4:15am near Bhigwan on the highway when the car the victims were travelling in halted after the driver wanted to answer nature's call, the official said.

There were seven people in the car -- the driver aged 70, three women, two 17-year-old boys and a 17-year-old girl. They were from two different families from a village in Junnar tehsil of Pune district and on their way to temple town of Pandharpur in Solapur district, he said.

"As the driver felt sleepy, he halted the car near a tea stall. When the driver stepped out to answer nature's call, two unidentified men approached the vehicle and threatened the occupants with sharp weapons and robbed gold ornaments. One of the accused then took the 17-year-old girl out of the car and sexually assaulted her," said the officer.

The duo then fled the spot on their motorcycle after which the traumatised car occupants gathered strengthen and informed police about the incident, he said.

The 73-year-old owner of the tea stall where the car passengers had stopped witnessed the incident, but due to his old age, he was not able to provide all relevant details, according to the officer.

"An offence has been lodged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Eight teams have been formed to trace and nab the accused," said Pune (Rural) Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill. PTI SPK BNM RSY