Pune: RPF cop holds runaway minor captive, rapes her for six days

The minor and her boyfriend were spotted by the accused at the Pune railway station. Representation Pic

The Government Railway Police (GRP) is on the lookout for a Railway Protection Force (RPF) head constable, who was based in Pune, for allegedly keeping a 17-year-old in confinement for six days and raping her repeatedly. An associate of the accused, who also allegedly sexually assaulted the minor, has been arrested.

The minor had elope d with Leeladhar Thakur, a 22-year-old man, from Chhattisgarh on September 9. When the duo reached Pune railway station on September 12, they were spotted by Head Constable Anil Pawar who saw them sitting cluelessly on the premises. When he came to know about their situation, he allegedly took them to an NGO office run by him and held both captive.

"He told them he was a cop and if the police took action against Thakur, he would rot in jail. He advised them to accompany him to an NGO office near the railway station" said a GRP officer. "The duo was taken to an NGO named Siddharth Multipurpose Society, which is run by Pawar himself," he added.

The accused have been booked under sections of IPC, POCSO and Atrocities Act. Representation Pic

According to the minor's statement, Pawar held both of them captive at the NGO office and raped her multiple times from September 12 to 17. She also alleged that his associate, Kamlesh Tiwari, 40, also raped her. On September 17, the accused took R6,000 from Thakur and allowed them to go. Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh police reached Pune railway station and took custody of the youths on September 19."

The duo was taken back to Sahaspur Lohara police station where a kidnapping case had been registered. The cops booked Thakur for kidnapping and sexually
assaulting the girl. The girl, however, revealed that the RPF constable and his associate had raped her multiple times.

"As per the statement, we registered an offence against Anil Pawar and Kamlesh Tiwari under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act," said an official.

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"The FIR was registered on October 20 and transferred to the Pune GRP," the official added.

Subsequently, the case was registered on Monday afternoon and GRP officers arrested Kamlesh Tiwari from his Nigdi home a few hours later.

"We formed a dedicated team and got the details of the NGO from RPF officials. We came to know that Tiwari worked at the NGO and lived in Nigdi. A team rushed to his home and nabbed him," said GRP SDPO Mahesh Devikar.

"Pawar was not found at his home nor has he reported to his office. We are searching for him," he added.

The RPF officer and Tiwari have been booked under IPC Sections 342 (wrongful confinement), 450 (House-trespass in order to commit offence), 384 (extortion), 376 (rape), 376part 2(N) (committing rape on same woman) 506 (criminal intimidation) 34 (common intention) as well as sections of POCSO and the Atrocities Act.

The RPF has suspended Pawar as well as an RPF Pune inspector. The assistant security commissioner, Pune has been tasked with uncovering operational lapses and whether others were involved as well. He has been asked to provide a detailed report on the incident.

20 Oct
Day Pawar and Tiwari were booked