Bhutanese Woman Sexually Assaulted By Seven Men In Pune; NCP Worker Among Accused
Pune, 9th April 2025: A shocking case of sexual assault has come to light in Pune, where a 27-year-old woman from Bhutan was allegedly sexually assaulted by seven men. The woman had initially come to India in 2020, arriving in Bodh Gaya in search of work. She later moved to Pune, where the assault is said to have taken place.
The survivor became acquainted with one of the accused, Rishikesh Navale, who introduced her to his friend Shantanu Kukade. Kukade, who is reportedly associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), arranged for her accommodation in Pune. Exploiting her vulnerable situation, Kukade allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Kukade had already been arrested recently in connection with a separate sexual assault case involving two other women. During the ongoing police investigation, new details emerged revealing that he, along with his associates, had also exploited the Bhutanese woman.
Following the revelations, the police arrested six additional suspects: Rishikesh Gangadhar Navale (48), Pratik Pandurang Shinde (36), Vipin Chandrakant Bidkar (48), Sagar Dashrath Rasge (35), Avinash Noel Suryawanshi (58), and Muddasir Ismail Memon (38). All the accused were produced before the court on Tuesday (8th April).
Government prosecutor Neelima Ithape Yadav, representing the state, stated that the woman, a foreign national, had come to Pune seeking employment. Alone and vulnerable, she was taken advantage of by the accused, who forced themselves on her against her will.
The survivor has submitted a complaint naming each of the accused. Prosecutor Yadav emphasized that the suspects are known to each other and that further investigation is necessary to determine whether additional accomplices were involved or if the crime was premeditated. She also requested medical examinations of the accused and sought their police custody to aid in the ongoing investigation.
The court granted five days of police custody for all the accused.
