Pune : Two NGO workers arrested in minor rape case

Pune: The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested two additional NGO employees on suspicion of their involvement in the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl from Chhattisgarh, alongside a fellow constable from the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The arrested individuals have been identified as Karan Rathod (30) and Sushmita Kasbe (24), both with ties to an NGO. Previously, the police had taken Kamlesh Tiwari into custody, who also worked at the same NGO as Rathod and Kasbe. The primary suspect, RPF constable Anil Pawar, remains at large.

The two accused in this case have been charged with multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including section 343 , section 450 section 384 , section 376(2)(N), section 506, and section 34, in addition to sections 4, 6, and 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. 

According to Police, the purported incident transpired between September 12 and September 17 within the railway colony. The minor girl had run away with a friend from Chhattisgarh and arrived at Pune railway station on September 12. Allegedly, RPF constable Pawar, who is now a suspect, encountered them. Deceptively offering assistance under the pretense of being associated with an NGO, he directed them to the railway quarters situated on Tadiwala Road. It is alleged that at this location, both the constable and his associate forcibly confined and sexually assaulted the minor girl.

Authorities have confirmed that the constable has been suspended. Additionally, an RPF inspector at the Pune railway station is facing suspension due to alleged negligence during the initial investigation.

Initially, an FIR was registered at a local police station in Chhattisgarh state and subsequently transferred to the Pune railway police.