Unsafe hills of Pune & uphill task of making them safe

At the aforesaid time, it besides turns the absorption connected imposing restrictions by section authorities.

The pistillate and her 22-year-old friend, some assemblage students, who are not from Pune, had gone to the tablepoint Bopdev Ghat country connected a motorcycle during precocious evening hours connected October 3.

Around 11 pm, 3 men came to the spot connected their bikes and allegedly threatened them with crisp weapons and robbed them of their valuables.

A elder constabulary serviceman said the accused tied the woman’s person with his garment and belt. The accused dragged the pistillate to an isolated area, and gang-raped her. After the accused near the transgression scene, the pistillate returned to her person and released him.

The spot wherever the transgression took spot is located astatine a walking region from the “Police Madat Kendra (Police Help Center)” acceptable up connected wood onshore successful Bopdev Ghat successful the aftermath of superior crimes which happened successful the past successful the area.

When the latest transgression took place, the Police Help Center was closed and determination was nary bull guarding the spot. Besides, astir of the spots successful Bopdev Ghat country are retired of compartment telephone range.

The incidental has prompted calls for broad changes to guarantee the extortion of each visitors astatine the assorted hills successful Pune.

Pune is location to respective hills successful and astir its municipality limits including Tukai elevation successful Pashan-Baner, Chatuhshrungi Hill, Vetal Tekdi, Parvati Hill, Taljai Hill, the elevation tract successful Hadapsar and besides immoderate successful the Pimpri-Chinchwad jurisdiction. Katraj country besides has ample tracts of hills.

The patches of the wood connected the precocious plateaus of these hills successful astir cases are demarcated arsenic reserved forests and autumn nether the purview of the State Forest Department.

The slopes of these hills are privately owned successful galore cases and different are nether the ownership of the gross section oregon the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations. Multiple crimes person been reported connected these hills.

As 60 constabulary teams are rigorously probing the Bopdev Ghat gang-rape case, successful a abstracted incident, a 19-year-old assemblage pupil was robbed successful wide daylight by 2 unidentified equipped men astatine the Hanuman Tekdi adjacent Symbiosis College connected the Senapati Bapati Road astir 3 p.m. connected October 5.

Sub-Inspector Mahesh Bhosale of the Deccan constabulary station, who is probing the lawsuit said, the unfortunate was waiting for his friends, erstwhile the robbers allegedly looted his golden concatenation worthy Rs 70,000.

Past cases

February 24, 2016: An 18-year-old miss from West Bengal, studying astatine a Pune college, was robbed and raped astatine the aforesaid Hanuman Tekdi, wherever she had gone for speechmaking astir 6.45 p.m. . A 21-year-old past sheeter arrested by the constabulary wrong 24 hours successful the lawsuit was aboriginal sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment by a Pune court.

The metropolis constabulary had accrued patrolling connected Hanuman Tekdi and akin spots successful the metropolis betwixt 6 p.m. and 9 pm. But the crimes continued.

August 2021: A wildlife lensman was robbed of his camera, compartment phone, golden valuables and besides immoderate cash, worthy Rs 1.8 lakh, by 2 persons astatine Baner hill. Police had arrested the 2 persons successful this case.

October 1, 2022: a 19-year -old assemblage pupil had gone to Hanuman Tekdi with his 2 friends including a girl, erstwhile 2 equipped men threatened them astatine weapon points and looted his golden ringing worthy Rs 20,000.

December 2022: When 19-year-old BBA pupil Sahil Kasbe went to the Vetal Tekdi with a pistillate friend, 3 men allegedly stabbed him to decease for talking to the girl.

September 29, 2024: Two 19-year-old boys from Nagaland, who are studying successful Pune, were robbed astatine Baner elevation by 4 unidentified robbers.

March 2022: A cardinal authorities worker and his pistillate friend, who were retired for a locomotion connected Baner Hill, were looted by 3 persons who threatened to termination them and forced them to marque integer transfers of Rs 76,000.

September 2016: erstwhile 2 constabulary unit connected patrolling work questioned 3 suspects connected a elevation connected the Pashan Sus road, 1 of them opened occurrence astatine the constabulary with an aerial gun.

September 30, 2024: Police arrested a 36 year-old-man, claiming to beryllium an activistic of immoderate quality rights organisation, for allegedly molesting a 20-year-old pistillate erstwhile she had gone to the Bopdev Ghat with a friend. * January 16, 2023: A pack allegedly robbed radical astatine Bopdev Ghat pursuing which constabulary caught the pack members including a minor.

Police sources said the Table Top, Parsi Point and surrounding locations successful Bopdev Ghat country connected the Kondhwa Saswad roadworthy adjacent Yewalewadi person emerged arsenic favourite spots for couples.

Police said that patrolling successful Bopdev Ghat was intensified and it did forestall crimes successful the area.
However, the graffiti with abusive words astir the constabulary connected a partition of the Police Help Center itself points retired that the information measures undertaken by constabulary were not sufficient.

Why these hills proceed to beryllium unsafe spaces amidst municipality landscapes ?

Pune’s hills are location to divers ecosystems, making them a favored destination for some the young and the elderly. Although these hills are present surrounded by municipality development, they inactive big a affluent assortment of flora and fauna, including endemic species. Despite facing important degradation, these areas person seen passionate section groups moving tirelessly to sphere their biodiversity.

These hills pull quality lovers, trekkers, and fittingness enthusiasts, making them favored destinations for greeting walks and hikes. These areas person often witnessed incidents of robbery, unit against radical who task during unusual hours.

A elder constabulary serviceman said, “There is simply a signifier successful these incidents. Almost each person taken spot either astatine secluded parts of the hills with histrion cover, particularly erstwhile it is dark. We person been advising radical to debar going successful these areas erstwhile it is acheronian and debar isolated areas. People walking unsocial and young couples who spell to areas person been targeted successful the past.”

“In galore cases successful which young couples are targeted and robbed, the incidents are not reported, due to the fact that they are acrophobic of being identified. We impulse radical to attack the constabulary instantly aft specified incidents. In spite of repeated cautions, radical task into these areas during acheronian hours,” the serviceman added.

Another elder constabulary serviceman said that the patrolling teams and bushed marshals from the section constabulary stations which person hills successful their jurisdictions, person been instructed to screen these elevation patches arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable and grounds it connected My Safe Pune app, launched by Pune constabulary successful 2021 to guarantee effectual patrolling by bushed marshals.

“Covering these areas arsenic extensively arsenic streets , is adjacent to impossible. Many times these areas are poorly lit. During monsoon, it becomes further hard for patrolling,” the serviceman said.

Aftermath of Bopdev Ghat incident

Police person present announced a slew of measures for the information of radical visiting hills and akin secluded areas. Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma said, “The patrolling teams from assorted units that screen the hills and secluded areas, volition beryllium equipped with hunt lights. The patrolling vehicles which screen these areas volition person and besides the constabulary outposts successful these parts volition person loudspeakers oregon megaphones. Wherever possible, we volition inquire the acrophobic bodies similar the PMC oregon the wood section to instal illuminating lights.”

A elder constabulary serviceman said section constabulary stations would beryllium asked to chalk retired a program to patrol and screen the elevation and secluded areas successful their respective jurisdictions. With the assistance of authorities concerned, the constabulary stations would enactment up signages advising visitors to workout caution.

Meanwhile, constabulary are doing investigation of information of much than 3,000 mobile phones, verification of implicit 200 criminals connected record, probe of CCTV footage obtained from much than 100 locations connected 70-80 km from transgression scene. Sketches of 2 suspects are prepared from descriptions fixed by the victims.

Police Help Center is being made operational circular the timepiece with installation of lights, nationalist announcement strategy and deployment of cops successful Bopdev Ghat.