In the wake of the recent gang rape in the Bopdev Ghat area, Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Dr Neelam Gorhe has called for increased police patrolling in uninhabited areas, including Bopdev Ghat, Dive Ghat, Vetal Hill, and the NDA premises, to improve residents' safety.

During a press conference at the Police Commissioner's Office, attended by Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Sunday, Dr Gorhe stressed the importance of securing these areas. She urged the police to update checkpoints in deserted locations, install effective lighting at night, and ensure regular monitoring of these spots through CCTV cameras. These measures, she said, are essential to protect residents from such crimes.

Dr Gorhe also highlighted the importance of raising public awareness about these security measures, urging the authorities to widely publicise them to inform citizens and encourage vigilance.

She expressed concern over the rising incidents of violence against women in Pune city and its surrounding areas, stressing that the police should quickly apprehend the accused and take immediate action. Dr Gorhe also called for the results of the Women Vigilance Committees' meetings to be shared with the women members, stating that such transparency could help curb crime.

She also pointed out the need for character verification of school, college, and school bus drivers and conductors to address harassment in public places. She also advocated for serious attention to be given to workshops on 'Bad Touch, Good Touch' in schools to protect children from abuse.

The Deputy Chairman urged the police department to publicise their success stories in combating crime to build citizens' trust. She concluded by emphasising that the police should always be prepared to address and reduce crime in Pune city and its surrounding areas.

Bopdev ghat rape case

A 21-year-old woman was allegedly raped by three unidentified persons, who also tied her male friend using his own cloths and belt and assaulted him at an isolated place on the outskirts of Pune city on Thursday night. Police investigation revealed the three suspects, who were armed with 'koyta' (machetes) and bamboo sticks, took away the woman's ornaments and later raped her. The trio also warned the duo of dire consequences if they revealed about the incident to anyone. The horrific incident took place in the Bopdev Ghat area at around 10.45 pm on Thursday and a day later police released sketches of two of the suspects as they intensified efforts to trace the culprits and sought help of citizens to nab them.