AFTER each incident of theft and violence in opposition to ladies within the secluded areas of Pune’s hills, the police have promised to step up safety measures whereas emphasising on warning to keep away from these patches throughout late hours.
The current gang-rape of a 21-year-college scholar within the Bopdev Ghat space has but in opposition to underscored the pressing want for an elevated safety steps to make sure the security of holiday makers.
On the identical time, it additionally turns the give attention to imposing restrictions by native authorities.
The lady and her 22-year-old pal, each school college students, who usually are not from Pune, had gone to the tablepoint Bopdev Ghat space on a bike throughout late night hours on October 3.
Round 11 pm, three males got here to the spot on their bikes and allegedly threatened them with sharp weapons and robbed them of their valuables.
A senior police officer stated the accused tied the girl’s pal along with his shirt and belt. The accused dragged the girl to an remoted space, and gang-raped her. After the accused left the crime scene, the girl returned to her pal and launched him.
The spot the place the crime befell is situated at a strolling distance from the “Police Madat Kendra (Police Assist Middle)” arrange on forest land in Bopdev Ghat within the wake of great crimes which occurred previously within the space.
When the most recent crime befell, the Police Assist Middle was closed and there was no cop guarding the spot. Moreover, a lot of the spots in Bopdev Ghat space are out of cellular phone vary.
The incident has prompted requires complete adjustments to make sure the safety of all guests on the numerous hills in Pune.
Pune is house to a number of hills in and round its city limits together with Tukai hill in Pashan-Baner, Chatuhshrungi Hill, Vetal Tekdi, Parvati Hill, Taljai Hill, the hill tract in Hadapsar and in addition some within the Pimpri-Chinchwad jurisdiction. Katraj space additionally has giant tracts of hills.
The patches of the forest on the higher plateaus of those hills usually are demarcated as reserved forests and fall underneath the purview of the State Forest Division.
The slopes of those hills are privately owned in lots of circumstances and in any other case are underneath the possession of the income division or the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal companies. A number of crimes have been reported on these hills.
As 60 police groups are rigorously probing the Bopdev Ghat gang-rape case, in a separate incident, a 19-year-old school scholar was robbed in broad daylight by two unidentified armed males on the Hanuman Tekdi close to Symbiosis School on the Senapati Bapati Highway round 3 pm on October 5.
Sub-Inspector Mahesh Bhosale of the Deccan police station, who’s probing the case stated, the sufferer was ready for his associates, when the robbers allegedly looted his gold chain price Rs 70,000.
Previous circumstances
February 24, 2016: An 18-year-old lady from West Bengal, finding out at a Pune school, was robbed and raped on the identical Hanuman Tekdi, the place she had gone for studying round 6.45 pm . A 21-year-old historical past sheeter arrested by the police inside 24 hours within the case was later sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by a Pune courtroom.
Town police had elevated patrolling on Hanuman Tekdi and related spots within the metropolis between 6 pm and 9 pm. However the crimes continued.
August 2021: A wildlife photographer was robbed of his digital camera, cellular phone, gold valuables and in addition some money, price Rs 1.8 lakh, by two individuals at Baner hill. Police had arrested the 2 individuals on this case.
October 1, 2022: a 19-year -old school scholar had gone to Hanuman Tekdi along with his two associates together with a woman, when two armed males threatened them at knife factors and looted his gold ring price Rs 20,000.
December 2022: When 19-year-old BBA scholar Sahil Kasbe went to the Vetal Tekdi with a feminine pal, three males allegedly stabbed him to dying for speaking to the lady.
September 29, 2024: Two 19-year-old boys from Nagaland, who’re finding out in Pune, had been robbed at Baner hill by 4 unidentified robbers.
March 2022: A central authorities worker and his lady pal, who had been out for a stroll on Baner Hill, had been looted by three individuals who threatened to kill them and compelled them to make digital transfers of Rs 76,000.
September 2016: when two police personnel on patrolling obligation questioned three suspects on a hill on the Pashan Sus street, one in every of them opened fireplace on the police with an air gun.
September 30, 2024: Police arrested a 36 year-old-man, claiming to be an activist of some human rights organisation, for allegedly molesting a 20-year-old lady when she had gone to the Bopdev Ghat with a pal. * January 16, 2023: A gang allegedly robbed folks at Bopdev Ghat following which police caught the gang members together with a minor.
Police sources stated the Desk Prime, Parsi Level and surrounding areas in Bopdev Ghat space on the Kondhwa Saswad street close to Yewalewadi have emerged as favorite spots for {couples}.
Police stated that patrolling in Bopdev Ghat was intensified and it did forestall crimes within the space.
Nonetheless, the graffiti with abusive phrases concerning the police on a wall of the Police Assist Middle itself factors out that the security measures undertaken by police weren’t ample.
Why these hills proceed to be unsafe areas amidst city landscapes ?
Pune’s hills are house to numerous ecosystems, making them a well-liked vacation spot for each the younger and the aged. Though these hills at the moment are surrounded by city improvement, they nonetheless host a wealthy number of natural world, together with endemic species. Regardless of going through vital degradation, these areas have seen passionate native teams working tirelessly to protect their biodiversity.
These hills appeal to nature lovers, trekkers, and health fans, making them favored locations for morning walks and hikes. These areas have usually witnessed incidents of theft, violence in opposition to individuals who enterprise throughout odd hours.
A senior police officer stated, “There’s a sample in these incidents. Nearly all have taken place both at secluded components of the hills with tree cowl, particularly when it’s darkish. We now have been advising folks to keep away from getting into these areas when it’s darkish and keep away from remoted areas. Individuals strolling alone and younger {couples} who go to areas have been focused previously.”
“In lots of circumstances through which younger {couples} are focused and robbed, the incidents usually are not reported, as a result of they’re afraid of being recognized. We urge folks to method the police instantly after such incidents. Despite repeated cautions, folks enterprise into these areas throughout darkish hours,” the officer added.
One other senior police officer stated that the patrolling groups and beat marshals from the native police stations which have hills of their jurisdictions, have been instructed to cowl these hill patches as a lot as doable and report it on My Protected Pune app, launched by Pune police in 2021 to make sure efficient patrolling by beat marshals.
“Overlaying these areas as extensively as streets , is subsequent to unattainable. Many instances these areas are poorly lit. Throughout monsoon, it turns into additional troublesome for patrolling,” the officer stated.
Aftermath of Bopdev Ghat incident
Police have now introduced a slew of measures for the security of individuals visiting hills and related secluded areas. Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma stated, “The patrolling groups from numerous models that cowl the hills and secluded areas, can be geared up with search lights. The patrolling autos which cowl these areas could have and in addition the police outposts in these components could have loudspeakers or megaphones. Wherever doable, we’ll ask the involved our bodies just like the PMC or the forest division to put in illuminating lights.”
A senior police officer stated native police stations could be requested to chalk out a plan to patrol and canopy the hill and secluded areas of their respective jurisdictions. With the assistance of authorities involved, the police stations would put up signages advising guests to train warning.
In the meantime, police are doing evaluation of knowledge of greater than 3,000 cellphones, verification of over 200 criminals on report, investigation of CCTV footage obtained from greater than hundred areas on 70-80 km from crime scene. Sketches of two suspects are ready from descriptions given by the victims.
Police Assist Middle is being made operational around the clock with set up of lights, public announcement system and deployment of cops in Bopdev Ghat.
