The Kalyan police have arrested seven individuals for allegedly gang-raping a 17-year-old girl on multiple occasions in Kalyan.

According to the police, the incident began in March this year when the victim received a friend request on Instagram from one of the accused, who is a relative. She accepted the request and began conversing with him, including over regular calls. Later, the accused introduced her to another man, and she also began communicating with him. Eventually, a physical relationship was established between them.

The accused later recorded intimate moments with the girl and shared the video with his friends. Subsequently, the other six accused sexually assaulted her after threatening to make the video viral. Following this, the girl became pregnant and later suffered a miscarriage.

The incident came to light when a relative informed the victim’s father about an intimate video of his daughter that had gone viral on social media. Thereafter, the father along with the victim approached the Mahatma Phule Police Station on Monday and filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was lodged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly the Indian Penal Code), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Information Technology Act.

Baliaram Pardeshi, Senior Police Inspector from Mahatma Phule Police Station, said, “So far, seven accused have been arrested and produced in court, where they were remanded to police custody until September 30. We have formed a team to trace the one absconding accused.”

Thane: In a major crackdown against wildlife trafficking, the Sakinaka Police successfully foiled an attempt to illegally smuggle two rare gibbon chicks on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, the police team laid a trap and apprehended the accused while they were in possession of the endangered animals.

According to a social media X post by Mumbai Police, “Both the accused and the rescued animals have been handed over to the Forest Range Officer, Thane, for further action.”

The gibbon chicks were found unharmed and are now under proper care and rehabilitation by forest authorities. The accused are in police custody, with legal proceedings underway.

This incident follows recent seizures by Mumbai Airport Customs in August, where nearly 70 exotic wildlife animals smuggled from Bangkok were recovered in two separate cases.

Officials said some of these animals belong to endangered species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Two individuals involved in the trafficking were arrested, highlighting continued vigilance against illegal wildlife trade.

The Navi Mumbai police have arrested the driver of former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar’s father in connection with the road rage incident in which a truck driver was abducted last week, a senior official said on Saturday.

Puja Khedkar’s father, Dilip Khedkar, who is also wanted in the case, is still absconding, police said.

According to the police, the incident occurred on September 13 on the Mulund-Airoli Road in Navi Mumbai after a concrete mixer truck driven by Prahlad Kumar (22) brushed against a Land Cruiser car, leading to an argument between him and two occupants of the four-wheeler.

The investigation revealed that Dilip Khedkar and his driver, Praful Salunkhe, bundled Kumar into the SUV and took him to the Khedkar bungalow in Pune.

Police tracked the SUV to Pune based on technical analysis and rescued the truck driver from the bungalow even as Puja Khedkar’s mother, Manorama, obstructed their entry.

“We have arrested Khedkar’s driver Praful Salunkhe, who was involved in the abduction,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Pankaj Dahane said.

The Rabale police have registered a case under section 137(2) (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the accused, including Dilip Khedkar, who is absconding.

The Pune police have also registered a case against Manorama Khedkar, the mother of Puja Khedkar, for allegedly obstructing the police and issued a notice.

Puja Khedkar is accused of misrepresenting facts in her application for the 2022 UPSC civil services examination to avail herself of reservation benefits. She has refuted all the allegations against her.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has initiated a series of actions against Khedkar, including lodging a criminal case for attempting to take the civil services exam by faking her identity. Delhi Police had lodged an FIR against her for various offences.

After the controversy erupted over Puja Khedkar’s appointment as a probationary IAS officer, a video surfaced last year in which her mother was seen threatening a farmer. Manorama Khedkar was subsequently arrested and later released on bail.