21-Year-Old Gang-Raped, Friend Tied To Tree With His Shirt In Pune

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by three men, who also tied her male friend to a tree in Maharashtra's Pune last night. The incident took place around 11 pm on Thursday when the woman was out with her friend in a deserted area on the outskirts of Pune.

The police were alerted at 5 am. A case has been registered and the crime branch of Pune Police is searching for the accused.

The woman is being treated at the Sassoon General Hospital and an FIR is being registered.

The men tied the woman's fried to a tree with his belt and shirt before raping her, as per the police. He is also being interrogated.

The incident has triggered a political blame-game in Maharashtra, where elections are due later this year.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Anand Dubey condemned the incident and slammed the Eknath Shinde government in the state, accusing it of failing to protect women. Criminals know that the state government is “indifferent and careless”, he said adding, “The law-and-order situation in Maharashtra has collapsed. What does the state government want? While the state government is running the Ladli Behan Yojana, it is unable to safeguard the dignity of its Ladli Behan (sisters).”

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule wrote "Very infuriating!" In a social media post, she added, "Incidents of violence against women are continuously increasing in Pune and across the state. The home department does not seem to be doing anything to stop these incidents. Unfortunately, it has to be said that Maharashtra is not safe for women. The government should arrest the accused in the said incident and take strict action against them."