A woman lawyer has alleged that she was raped inside a moving car in Pune after partying with a man she had connected with through a matrimonial website. Police have detained three men in connection with the case, while efforts are underway to trace a fourth accused.

The detained accused were identified as Abhishek Navnath Mukte, Dhananjay Sorte and Aadesh Shinde.

Police said the woman is originally from Patna and pursued her legal education in Pune before beginning her practice at the Mumbai High Court. She had travelled to Pune for work and was staying in the city when the incident took place on Sunday.

According to investigators, the woman was at a five-star hotel in Koregaon Park on Sunday evening, where she had invited a man she had connected with through a matrimonial website.

The man reportedly arrived at the hotel accompanied by two women. After a short interaction, the three allegedly left the venue.

Police said that later in the evening, while consuming alcohol at the hotel, the woman became acquainted with two men seated at a nearby table.

The group subsequently decided to continue the evening at another pub.

During the drive, one of the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the woman inside the moving vehicle.

Investigators further said the accused allegedly placed calls to two of their friends on speakerphone during the journey and made objectionable comments about the woman, while others in the vehicle allegedly passed obscene remarks.

Enraged by the incident, the woman allegedly forced the accused to summon the two men they had called and apologise to her.

After the vehicle stopped and the group got down, an argument reportedly broke out between the woman and the four accused.

Police said the accused allegedly threw the woman’s purse onto the road before fleeing the scene.

The woman later sought help from a local resident, contacted a friend and subsequently approached the Koregaon Park police station to lodge a complaint.

“This case is being investigated seriously. Three accused have been detained, and teams have been sent to trace the fourth accused,” Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said.

Source: India Today