Pune: Young Woman Molested by Ola Driver in Dehu Road

A young woman from the northeastern states, currently residing in Sangvi, Pune, experienced a harrowing ordeal on May 14 when she was allegedly molested by an Ola cab driver, Rahul Maske. She had booked the cab to travel from Navi Sangvi to Koregaon Park for a friend’s birthday celebration.

The woman started her trip from Navi Sangvi, intending to travel through Sangvi, Aundh, and Khadki to reach Koregaon Park. Seven minutes before reaching her destination, driver Maske claimed the car was running out of CNG and diverted the route towards Dehu Road instead of continuing towards Koregaon Park.

As the vehicle moved away from her intended destination, the woman became uneasy and questioned Maske. She attempted to exit the moving vehicle, sensing danger.

Upon reaching an isolated area on Dehu Road, near the cantonment area, Maske stopped the car and allegedly began molesting her. The woman managed to escape from the vehicle and ran down the road.

Around 2 am, a passing rickshaw driver noticed her distress and stopped to assist. Despite language barriers as she spoke English and little knowledge of Hindi or Marathi, he still took her to Sangvi, where she safely reached home.

With the help of an interpreter, the woman reported the incident to the police the next afternoon. She narrated her ordeal to Sangvi police officers, who then accompanied her to the locations mentioned during her journey.

Based on her statement, a case was registered against driver Rahul Maske.

Since the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of Dehu Road Police Station, the case was transferred to them for further investigation.

“According to the victim’s account, a case has been registered. Sangvi police officers accompanied the victim to each location she mentioned to gather evidence. Subsequently, the case was transferred to Dehu Road police for further investigation,” said police inspector of Sangvi police station.

Authorities from the Dehu Road police are actively searching for the cab driver involved in the incident. Despite the language barrier, the victim’s detailed account, translated by an interpreter, has been crucial in advancing the investigation.