30-year-old Mumbra cop arrested for kidnapping, raping a 20-year-old

A sub-inspector, identified as Santosh Sonawane, was arrested yesterday for repeatedly raping a 20-year-old girl in Kalwa. The victim is a friend of 30-year-old policeman’s wife, and they live in the same complex in Pune, while Sonawane works in Thane and is associated with Mumbra police station.

According to the police, on April 13, which happened to be the victim’s birthday, Sonawane went to Pune from Mumbra. When his wife went to work, he called the girl to his home and allegedly raped her. The girl told police she did not file any FIR because Sonawane had promised to take care of her further studies.

On April 17, Sonawane again went to Pune – this time taking leave of four days from work – and raped the girl in her house. He then forced the victim to come down to Thane. On April 24, the victim reached Kalyan station at 7 am, from where Sonawane took her to a lodge in Kasarwadavli on Ghodbunder Road.

“He assured the girl that he would marry her. She was made to wear a mangalsutra, to make her look like his wife. She was again raped there,” a police officer said. The same day, Sonawane rented a flat at in Kalwa and kept the girl there. “He went to work locking her inside and after returning, raped her before taking away her mobile phone,” he added.

The victim’s parents, in the meantime, had lodged a missing complaint in Pune. The police tried to reach her but her phone was switched off. However, the last location showed her to be in Kharegaon in Kalwa. The police checked her call records, and found out that maximum number of missed or received calls came from Sonawane.

They then tracked his phone too and found that his location was the same as hers. The police team reached Thane and rescued the girl from the flat.

But as both the accused and the survivor are residents of Pune, the case has now been transferred to Pune’s Wanawadi police station.