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Police in Pune have informed a court that two individuals arrested in connection with the gangrape of a 21-year-old woman on October 3 allegedly attempted to mislead authorities by providing incorrect details about a third accomplice who remains at large, according to PTI.
The crime branch informed the Judicial Magistrate First Class on Tuesday that the real identity of the third accused has now been discovered. Officers are currently conducting efforts to track down this individual, a crime branch official told the court, as per PTI. Police requested the court to return the two detained suspects to their custody for further questioning, as their initial remand had ended. The court granted custody of the accused to police until November 8, as reported by PTI.
The two men in custody have been identified as Chandrakumar Raviprasad Kanojiya, originally from Madhya Pradesh, and Akhtar Babu Shaikh, a resident of Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, according to the police. During the course of the investigation, officials revealed that Shaikh had also provided police with an incorrect name for his father in what appears to be an additional attempt to obstruct inquiries.
According to the case details, the assault occurred on the night of October 3, while the young woman and a male friend were at Bopdev Ghat, located on the outskirts of Pune. Reports indicate that the three attackers approached the pair, assaulted her friend, and then subjected the woman to sexual assault. Pune police swiftly responded by launching an investigation and offering a substantial reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to the suspects' capture, according to PTI.
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Last month, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar stated that investigators are committed to completing the case swiftly and submitting a chargesheet at the earliest. He added that the police aim to fast-track the case for prompt conviction. According to Kumar, all three suspects have previous criminal records related to theft, which aided them in evading security measures. He noted that the assailants carefully avoided CCTV cameras on their escape route, as per PTI.
The case has garnered significant attention, and officials stress the importance of capturing the absconding suspect to ensure justice for the victim and expedite the trial process.
(With inputs from PTI)
