Pune: Cab Driver Arrested for Allegedly Assaulting College Student on Her Way to Birthday Party in Koregaon Park

Pune, 30 May 2024: A 26-year-old cab driver was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a college student during a ride from New Sangvi to Koregaon Park on the night of May 14. The student, a resident of New Sangvi, had booked the cab to attend a birthday party in Koregaon Park.

According to the police, the driver, Rahul Mhaske of Thergaon, diverted the cab towards Dehu Road and misbehaved with the student. The student managed to escape and returned home with the help of an autorickshaw driver. She lodged a complaint with the Sangvi police the following day, and the case was later transferred to the Dehu Road police for further investigation.

Senior Inspector Vijay Waghmare of the Dehu Road police stated that the initial clue they had was the driver’s cellphone number. Mhaske had been changing his location to evade arrest. “Sub-Inspector Ajay Rathod and his team arrested the driver through a technical investigation,” Waghmare said.

The 28-year-old student, originally from outside Maharashtra, is pursuing her post-graduation at a city-based college and resides in Sangvi. On the night of the incident, she booked a cab to attend a friend’s birthday party in Koregaon Park. As they neared the destination, the driver claimed he needed to refill gas and drove towards Dehu Road, an unfamiliar area to the student.

Suspecting foul play, the student tried to open the door of the moving cab. The driver then stopped the vehicle and attempted to assault her. She escaped and sought help from an autorickshaw driver, who helped her get home.

Inspector Mahesh Bansode of the Sangvi police station (Pimpri Chinchwad police) mentioned that the student, who only speaks her mother tongue and English, was assisted by an interpreter during the investigation. She provided the cab’s registration number and detailed the route, which was recorded in the app. Bansode explained that the app showed Koregaon Park was only seven minutes away, but the driver took a detour, causing suspicion when the app indicated it would now take over an hour to reach the destination.

The police registered the case immediately and sent a female officer with the student to verify all locations she mentioned. The investigation was then handed over to the Dehu Road police.

Sub-Inspector Ajay Rathod noted that Mhaske had no prior criminal record and was driving a friend’s cab, which was based in Lonavla. “The suspect has been remanded in police custody for two days. He claimed he informed the student about needing to refill gas. We are questioning him about why he went to Dehu Road and what his intentions were,” Rathod said.