Maharashtra: Autorickshaw driver held for raping tourist
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A 26-year-old autorickshaw driver has been arrested from a village near Panvel in Raigad district of Maharashtra for allegedly raping an 18-year-old woman tourist from Chhattisgarh on December 27, police said on Tuesday. Panvel Police station senior inspector Ajaykumar Landge told reporters that the accused was arrested from Barwai village within 12 hours of committing the crime on Sunday.
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Victim was in Mumbai to celebrate Christmas and New Year
"The woman is a resident of Chhattisgarh who traveled to Mumbai to celebrate Christmas and New Year," Landge said. "The woman had traveled to Jharkhand and then Delhi, before reaching Mumbai's Bandra railway station on December 22," he added. A ticket checker handed her over to Child Helpline since she was alone. She was then shifted to a shelter and later allowed to leave.
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Autorickshaw driver threatened to smash her head
Landge further informed, "On December 26, she was befriended by a man in Panvel and stayed with him for a day." "On December 27, she hired an autorickshaw at Panvel to go to Gandhi Garden locality. However, the autorickshaw driver drove her to an isolated place near the Wadghar river bank and dragged her into the bushes. He then raped her," he added.
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Case has been registered under IPC Sections 376 and 506-2
Since the woman was new to the area, police relied on informants and autorickshaw drivers to reach the accused. A case has been registered under Sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 506-2 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).