Pune Police nab 18-year-old for alleged rape of minor girl under BNS, POCSO acts

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 9 (ANI): The Pune City Police have arrested an 18-year-old resident of Viman Nagar for the alleged rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl, responding quickly to a formal complaint filed by the victim's parents.
The accused was apprehended within two hours of the case being reported, according to a press note from Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Somaya Munde of Zone 4.
The incident is reported to have occurred on December 4, 2025, around 12:30 PM. The accused, who had befriended the victim approximately two months prior, allegedly approached the girl on his motorcycle and offered to take her to school.
Instead, he reportedly diverted her to an undisclosed location where the sexual assault took place. The accused also allegedly threatened the victim to maintain silence about the incident.
The victim revealed the traumatic experience to her parents on December 7, following which they promptly filed a formal complaint at the Vishrantwadi Police Station on December 8, 2025, at 5:00 AM.
A case was immediately registered under multiple stringent sections of both the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The specific sections invoked are BNS: Sections 64(1) (punishment for rape), 65(1) (aggravated forms of sexual assault), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 351(3) (threat to cause injury); and POCSO Act: Sections 4 (penetrative sexual assault), 8 (sexual assault), and 12 (sexual harassment).
Senior Police Inspector Mangesh Hande led the immediate investigation that culminated in the accused's rapid arrest. Further probe into the matter is currently underway. (ANI)