An IT professional, was allegedly raped in her Pune home on Wednesday evening by an unidentified man who entered the premises by pretending to be a courier delivery executive. The attacker also reportedly took a selfie with the 22-year-old victim on her own phone, leaving a message with it to threaten her into silence.
According to PTI reports, the incident took place around 7:30 PM in a housing society in the Kondhwa area. The woman was alone at the time, as her brother had gone out for work. The man knocked on her door, claiming he had a courier to deliver.
The accused managed to get inside the flat after asking for a pen. An official provided more details, saying, “The man came to her house posing as a courier delivery agent and gained entry. He asked for a pen to sign (a document) and as she turned her back to him, he came inside the house and latched the door,” quoted PTI.
Police have secured the attacker’s face from security cameras in the area, an official told PTI. “The face of the accused has been captured in one of the CCTV cameras in the area and efforts were on to trace him.” Authorities are analyzing both the CCTV footage and the selfie found on the victim’s phone to identify and find the man.
After the assault, the accused used the woman’s phone to take a picture of himself with her. According to the PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajkumar Shinde said the man left a warning on the photo, “not to inform about the crime as he had taken her pictures and would share them on social media.”
The victim was found unconscious and does not remember the attack itself. “The woman does not remember anything (further) as she gained consciousness around 8.30 pm,” Shinde said. He added that after regaining consciousness the woman informed her relatives and subsequently police were alerted.
Police suspect the attacker used a chemical to render the woman unconscious. An official stated, “There is a possibility that the accused used some substance to make her unconscious. The police were verifying if any spray was used.” Forensic experts were also brought to the scene to investigate.
A major police investigation is now underway. “A total of 10 teams, five of the crime branch and five zonal teams, are working on the case,” Shinde told reporters. He confirmed that a case has been registered under sections 64, 77, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
