Woman alleges rape in moving car in Lonavala; 1 arrested amidst statement discrepancies

A 23-year-old woman in Maharashtra's Pune district has alleged she was abducted and raped in a moving car before being abandoned on a roadside in Lonavala during the intervening night of Friday (July 25) and Saturday (July 26). Police have arrested a 35-year-old man, a resident of Tungarli, the same locality as the complainant, in connection with the grave allegations.

In her initial complaint lodged at the Lonavala City Police Station, the woman stated that she was walking home on Friday night when she was forcibly kidnapped in a car. She alleged that she was then taken to various places in Tungarli and sexually assaulted repeatedly before being thrown out on a roadside in the early hours of Saturday. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered under sections 64(2)(m) (rape) and 138 (abduction) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita based on her complaint, leading to the swift apprehension of the accused.

However, the police have also noted discrepancies in the victim's statements as the investigation progresses. Initially, the woman claimed she was abducted and raped by three unidentified men. Further inquiry, including checks of CCTV footage, has reportedly revealed that only one man was present in the car, and that the arrested accused was known to the woman. Authorities are actively verifying these evolving claims as the probe continues to ascertain the full sequence of events.