Autorickshaw driver arrested for molesting woman trainee of Pune defence establishment
The Pune city police Saturday arrested an autorickshaw driver for allegedly molesting a 22-year-old woman trainee of a defence establishment in Pune. The police identified the accused as Sachin Anil Randive, 25.
As per the FIR lodged on April 22, the complainant and her female friend had gone to a hotel for dinner on April 16. After the dinner, they boarded an autorickshaw to go to the defence establishment around 11.30 pm.
The FIR mentioned that the complainant’s friend was not feeling well. So they came out of the autorickshaw for a while. While sitting inside the autorickshaw, the driver allegedly touched the complainant with wrong intentions.
The complainant questioned the autorickshaw driver for his alleged misbehaviour. But the driver pretended that he was helping the complainant. Also, he allegedly abused the complainant’s friend.
After receiving the complaint from the victim woman, the Pune city police booked the unidentified autorickshaw driver under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A press release by the Pune city police stated that the investigating team checked videos captured by CCTV cameras at different spots to get clues about the accused.
The police patrolling team gathered information about the autorickshaw driver and identified him, leading to his arrest. The police also seized his autorickshaw worth Rs 50,000
The police have appealed to women to note down the number of autorickshaws or cabs they travel in at night. Women should take photographs of the drivers on cell phones as a security measure. And in case of any wrong or suspicious behaviour by the driver, women should immediately call the police control room number 112 for help.
