The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Pune): A harrowing incident unfolded in Pune’s Kharadi area late Saturday night, where a woman faced a life-threatening assault in a parking dispute. Varsha Gaikwad, the victim, was present when her landlord, Mahesh Raje, parked his car in the disputed spot. This action triggered an aggressive response from a group of at least a dozen goons who arrived on the scene on two-wheelers.
The attackers, their faces concealed with scarves and armed with sticks, according to CCTV footage, began vandalizing the parked car with sticks and then set it ablaze. They also torched a nearby scooter. In the ensuing chaos, as Gaikwad fled, the attackers doused her with petrol, intending to set her on fire. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed, taking refuge in her home.
The assailants also attacked the landlord, Mahesh Raje, who later reported the incident to the Chandan Nagar Police Station. The police acted swiftly, apprehending four individuals – Akash S. Sode, Suraj R. Borude, Nayan N. Gaikwad, and Vishal Sasane. However, the main suspect, Dhiraj D. Sapate, a known history-sheeter, remains at large.
Senior Police Inspector Manisha Patil from the Chandan Nagar Police Station confirmed that the victim was unharmed and mentioned that Sapate had previously been arrested and released on a bond of good behavior under Section 110 of the CrPC. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
This shocking event comes just two weeks after Pune’s new Commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar, took measures to instill public confidence in law enforcement. On February 6-7, he had summoned over 700 local criminals and their associates in a significant show of police force.