Woman Molested Near Pune Airport, Raises Alarm Over Dark, Unsafe Lohgaon Road
Lohgaon, 16th July 2025: In a shocking incident that underscores growing concerns about women’s safety in Pune, a woman was allegedly molested by an unidentified man while riding her moped near the Pune airport corner on Lohgaon Road during the early hours of July 13. She has submitted a formal complaint to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), flagging serious gaps in public infrastructure and demanding urgent corrective measures.
The incident took place between 1:00 AM and 1:15 AM, as the woman was returning home after visiting a friend. According to her letter to PMC officials, a man on a motorcycle approached her, groped her while both were in motion, and fled the scene. The dark stretch of road, lacking both street lights and CCTV cameras, made it impossible to identify the assailant.
“Due to the poor lighting as a result of lack of street lights and absence of CCTV cameras on this stretch, the molester could not be identified, leaving me deeply traumatised and without recourse for justice,” the woman wrote in her complaint.
She stated that she had often taken the same route without fear, but the incident has now left her too terrified to use it again.
“Pune used to be considered safe for women. Now, in light of so many horrifying cases of harassment and molestation, including my own, it devastates me to say this city no longer feels safe.”
When asked about the police complaint, she said, “I went to file an FIR, but since I couldn’t see the perpetrator’s face or the bike’s license plate—it was dark and he sped away—the police refused to register it. They said an FIR couldn’t be filed because I had no description of the perpetrator, no CCTV footage (which doesn’t exist), or any other damning evidence.”
The complainant also expressed her frustration at being questioned about her presence on the road at that hour. “I was asked why I was out so late. The focus should rather be on the man who was roaming at such late hours and outraging the modesty of a woman who was minding her own business.”
She has called for immediate action, including:
Installation of functional street lights on Lohgaon Road
CCTV surveillance at key locations
Increased police patrolling during nighttime hours
