The boyfriend of the Pune rape victim first informed the Railway Police Helpline in Mumbai before informing the Pune police about the rape.
“At around 7.25pm on Thursday, April 8, Akbar Khan, 24, (name changed) from Pune, contacted the railway police helpline (9933331111) saying that his girlfriend was raped by army men on Tuesday evening at the defence ground. He added that the duo bashed him and robbed his valuables. They also threatened to kill them and continued to call on the victim’s mobile phone to meet them,” said an officer at the Railway Police Helpline.
On getting the information, the Railway Police Helpline personnel immediately contacted the Pune Police Control who in turn contacted Sangvi police station.
Khan, a machine operator in a private company at Pimpri, said, “I used watch my favourite television serial Crime Patrol on TV and had saved the Railway Helpline number, which flashed on the screen in my mobile. Secondly, I felt that if I directly inform the local police about my girlfriend being raped by army men, it would damage the reputation of my family members. Therefore, I preferred to call Railway Police Helpline.”
Meanwhile, the two army jawans have admitted to commiting the crime, police said. The Sangvi police had arrested the jawans on Thursday.
The two jawans belong to the 17 Rajputana Rifles. “But we are yet to recover the gold ornaments which the duo had allegedly snatched from the victim's boy friend,” said Sangvi police station inspector BS Sonawane.
