Pune: A special court in Pune has sentenced two men to rigorous imprisonment for life in connection with the abduction and rape of an 18-year-old girl at the Talegaon railway station back in 2016. Additional District and Sessions Judge S. M. Tapkire delivered the verdict on Monday.
The convicts have been identified as Sharad Murlidhar Salve (30), a resident of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Ankitsingh Bista alias Kancha (30), a resident of Ravet, Pune.
Case Background:
According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the victim had arrived at the Talegaon railway station from Baramati on January 25, 2016. Finding herself hungry, she was approached by the two accused under the pretext of providing her food. The perpetrators lured her to a tin shed located in the parking area of the station and subjected her to repeated sexual assault. Before fleeing the scene, one of the accused also captured explicit photos of the victim on a mobile phone.
The ordeal came to light when a woman sweeper at the railway station noticed the distressed girl crying and assisted her in approaching the authorities. A First Information Report (FIR) was subsequently registered at the Pune Railway Police Station.
Armed with crucial leads—including a mobile number belonging to one of the accused provided by the victim—the police tracked down and arrested Sharad Salve and Kancha. A police team headed by Police Sub-Inspector Shamshuddin Shaikh spearheaded the investigation, filing a comprehensive chargesheet against the accused on April 30, 2016.
During the trial, Special Public Prosecutor S. A. Kshirsagar examined 12 witnesses to establish a foolproof sequence of events, as detailed in an official press release issued by the GRP. Evaluating the extensive testimonies and material evidence presented, the court found both accused guilty under Section 376(2)(n) (committing rape repeatedly on the same woman) and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They have been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for life alongside a fine of Rs 25,000 each.
