Bopdev Ghat Gang Rape: Pune Police Discover Accused Gave False Names, Investigation Deepens

Pune, 8th November 2024: The investigation into the Bopdev Ghat gang rape case has revealed that the main accused attempted to mislead the police by providing false information about his identity and that of his absconding accomplice.

Shoaib alias Akhtar Babu Shaikh, son of Jamal Lakhpati, tried to deceive the authorities by giving a false name. He also falsely claimed that the absconding accomplice was named Bapya alias Somnath Yadav. However, during the investigation, it was discovered that the real name of the absconding accused is Bapya alias Suraj Dashrath Gosavi.

Shoaib alias Akhtar Babu Shaikh (27) and Chandrakumar Raviprasad Kanojia (20), both of whom were in judicial custody at Yerawada Jail, were arrested by the police on Monday (4th November). They were detained that night and formally arrested on Tuesday (5th November) before being presented in the court of First Class Magistrate A.A. Kulkarni. The accused were subsequently remanded to judicial custody at Yerawada Jail, with the right to request police custody preserved.

The police later requested that the accused be placed in police custody for further investigation. Government lawyer Dr. Amrapali Kasture argued that the case is sensitive, requiring a thorough investigation that can only be conducted with the accused in police custody.

The court accepted the government’s argument and ordered that the accused be held in police custody until Friday (8th November). The police plan to interrogate the accused face-to-face to uncover details about how the crime was committed. The authorities have also informed the court of the possibility that the accused may have been involved in other crimes in the Pune district.

Reportedly, the police intend to take Akhtar Shaikh, the main accused, to his hometowns of Latur and Nagpur to verify his Aadhaar card and birth certificate. The accused also possesses information about the whereabouts of the absconding accused, Bapya alias Suraj Gosavi. The investigation will focus on how the three managed to escape after the crime and where they went afterward. Shoaib and Kanojia will be taken to these locations and questioned further in the presence of witnesses.