28 April,2016 05:00 PM IST | | Faisal Tandel
A 30-year-old sub inspector associated with the Mumbra police station nabbed for repeatedly raping a 20-year-old girl in Kalwa. Survivor knew accused, as she was a friend of his wife
PSI Santosh Sonawane
A 30-year-old sub inspector associated with the Mumbra police station was arrested yesterday for repeatedly raping a 20-year-old girl in Kalwa (Thane). The survivor knew the accused, as she was a friend of his wife. Even their families were close to each other.
PSI Santosh Sonawane
She was rescued from a rented flat in Kalwa yesterday. The officer has been booked for rape, cheating and kidnapping. Since both, the accused and the survivor, are residents of a complex based in Mohammed wadi in Hadapsar in Pune, the case has been transferred to Wanawadi police station now.
Wife and son of the accused, identified as Santosh Sonawane, live in the complex while he works in Mumbra.
On April 13, which was the survivor's birthday, the accused came down to Pune from Mumbra. When his wife went to work, he called the girl to his home and raped her. The girl did not file any FIR, after Sonawane promised to take care of her further studies.
The survivor's father said, "I am a farmer. It was impossible for us to afford her education. My daughter just finished her diploma in pharmacy and wanted to study BSc. When Sonawane assured her, she got a glimmer of hope. He also repeatedly threatened her flashing his gun."
Later on April 17, the accused came to Pune taking leave of four days from work.
"On April 18, the girl claims that she was sleeping in her bedroom when he raped her again," said a police officer from Kalwa police station. This time, he asked the girl to write a letter to her family. "The accused threatened her to write the letter saying that she is heading to Mumbai for further studies. If she did not comply, he threatened to commit suicide and name her in the suicide note. The girl left her residence at 2 am on April 23, after leaving the letter. An auto-rickshaw driver, arranged by Sonawane, took her to the Pune railway station. He gave a call to the accused after settling her down in the train," said J Babar, senior police inspector, Kalwa police station to mid-day.
The train reached Kalyan station at 7 am. Sonawane took the girl to a lodge in Kasarwadavli area on Ghodbunder road. "He assured the girl that he would marry her. She was made to wear a mangalsutra, to make her look like his wife. She was again raped there," added Babar.
On that same day, Sonawane rented a flat at Kharegaon in Kalwa. "He took away her mobile phone. He went to work locking her inside and after returning, raped her," added Babar.
Missing Complaint
The survivor's parents went to the Wanawadi police station to lodge a missing complaint on April 23. "Her phone was switched off but the last location showed her to be in Kharegaon in Kalwa. We checked her call records, which gave us a clue. The maximum number of missed or received calls came from Sonawane. We tracked his phone too and the location was the same as hers," said a senior police officer of Wanawadi police station.
A police team was sent to the flat. "We rescued the girl from there, yesterday. We also found the accused there," added Babar.
