By SarhindTimes Investigative Bureau | Parbhani / Mumbai | Tuesday, October 21, 2025
In a case that shocked Maharashtra’s heartland, Parbhani Police have solved the brutal gang-rape of a 19-year-old college student, arresting five adult suspects and detaining a 16-year-old minor within 48 hours of the incident.
The crime occurred late Saturday near a desolate stretch of the Basmat Road industrial zone, where the survivor was allegedly assaulted and left unconscious.
Police say forensic and digital evidence were crucial in tracing the culprits, who confessed during interrogation.
The Crime Scene
The young woman, a first-year commerce student, was returning home from a coaching class around 8:30 p.m. on her scooter when a group of men in a mini-truck intercepted her near an abandoned factory.
Investigators believe they dragged her to a godown, where the assault lasted for over an hour.
Passersby found her lying semi-conscious on the roadside and alerted the control room.
The survivor was rushed to Civil Hospital, Parbhani, where doctors confirmed sexual assault.
She remains stable and is under psychiatric counselling.
Superintendent of Police Rohit Sawant told Sarhind Times:
“We made this case a priority from the first call. Multiple teams worked through the night using CCTV footage and mobile-tower triangulation. All accused are in custody.”
Swift Police Action: A Timeline
October 19, 10 p.m. — FIR Registered
The survivor’s brother filed a complaint under Sections 64(2) and 70 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) (equivalent to rape and gang-rape).
October 20, 3 a.m. — Crime Scene Sealed
Forensic teams collected soil, fibre, and tire-mark evidence.
October 20, 8 a.m. — CCTV Leads
Footage from a petrol pump 1 km away showed a white Tata Ace truck following the victim.
October 20, 2 p.m. — Arrests Begin
The truck was traced to a scrap dealer in Gangakhed; the driver, Salim Shaikh (24), and aide Ramesh Rathod (26) confessed.
Three more men—Ankush, Pratap, and Ashraf (all 20–28)—were nabbed later.
A 16-year-old school dropout who allegedly acted as a lookout was sent to a juvenile home.
Digital Forensics at Work
Police credit technology for the breakthrough.
Investigators used Call Detail Records (CDR) and geo-fencing to map all mobile devices active near Basmat Road during the 8–10 p.m. window.
Three numbers matched the suspects’ registered IDs.
Fingerprints on the scooter handle and tire patterns from the godown aligned with the mini-truck’s make.
Cyber Cell officer Inspector Leena More said:
“Even before confessions, digital footprints told us who was where. It’s science, not chance.”
Inside the Interrogation
Sources said the accused admitted they were drunk and followed the woman after a petty altercation at a roadside stall.
They confessed to “teaching her a lesson,” revealing a chilling mix of misogyny and mob mentality.
The police seized liquor bottles, ropes, and mobile phones used to record the act.
The video was deleted but retrieved from cloud backups—now key evidence under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, which recognises electronic data as primary proof.
Medical & Forensic Confirmation
Doctors at Parbhani Civil Hospital performed a comprehensive medico-legal examination within two hours of admission, preserving DNA samples.
The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Aurangabad, confirmed matching biological traces from two of the accused, solidifying the chain of evidence.
District Civil Surgeon Dr Pramila Deshmukh stated:
“The survivor received immediate treatment. No life-threatening injuries, but severe trauma. She’s under observation and therapy.”
Public Outrage & Candle March
By Monday evening, hundreds of residents joined a candle march outside Sambhaji Chowk, demanding fast-track trial and capital punishment.
Women’s groups carried placards reading “No mercy for predators” and “Justice for every daughter.”
Local college students wore black bands in solidarity.
Shops in nearby localities downed shutters for two hours in protest.
Political Reactions
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called the act “inhuman and unforgivable,” assuring the family of state-funded legal aid and ₹10-lakh compensation.
Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, directed the CID to supervise investigation quality.
Opposition leader Ajit Pawar demanded that the case be shifted to a fast-track POCSO court, given the minor’s involvement.
Union Minister Smriti Irani posted on X:
“Another daughter scarred, another conscience tested. Justice must be swift and certain.”
Legal Path Ahead
The Parbhani District Court has remanded all five adults to police custody till October 28.
Charges include:
- Section 64(2) – Gang-rape (Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023)
- Section 82 – Criminal intimidation
- Section 111 – Kidnapping with intent to confine
- Section 65(3) – Recording of sexual acts without consent
- Sections 6 & 8 – POCSO Act (for the juvenile accused)
If convicted, the main perpetrators could face imprisonment for life or death penalty, depending on the severity established at trial.
District Government Pleader Adv. Suryakant Jadhav said:
“We will oppose bail at every stage. The evidence is watertight.”
Women’s Commission & NGO Response
The Maharashtra State Commission for Women dispatched a two-member team to Parbhani.
Chairperson Rupali Chakankar met the survivor’s parents, assuring protection under the Victim Compensation Scheme.
NGOs including Majlis Legal Centre and Snehalaya have begun trauma-counselling sessions.
Activist Dr Varsha Gaikwad urged educational institutions to hold gender-sensitivity workshops:
“Every campus must teach consent as seriously as commerce or science.”
Psychological Toll
Psychologists assisting the survivor describe intense fear, guilt, and insomnia—classic post-traumatic stress indicators.
Clinical counsellor Dr Rita Korde notes:
“Early therapy is critical. The survivor’s willingness to testify can empower countless others.”
The hospital’s women’s cell has ensured a female constable presence 24×7 for reassurance.
Pattern of Rural Gender Violence
Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show Maharashtra recorded 3,728 rape cases in 2024, of which 42 percent occurred in semi-urban and rural districts like Parbhani, Jalna, and Beed.
Sociologists attribute this to inadequate street lighting, limited police presence, and entrenched patriarchal attitudes.
Local panchayats often pressure families to compromise—something police vowed to resist in this case.
Voices from the Ground
At the survivor’s college, silence hung heavy.
Her classmates created an anonymous note wall reading “She could be any of us.”
A professor said quietly:
“Our syllabus teaches law, but not humanity. That must change.”
A bus driver on the route where the incident occurred added:
“That stretch has no CCTV or patrol. We’ve been complaining for months.”
Technology & Reform: The Way Forward
Following the Parbhani case, the Home Department plans to install AI-enabled street cameras on Basmat Road within three months.
A pilot project will link rural CCTV feeds to a district command centre for real-time monitoring.
Officials are also considering SOS poles every 500 metres—panic buttons connected directly to police control rooms.
Fast-Track Justice: A Promise Under Test
Special public prosecutors have been assigned, and the trial will be heard in a dedicated fast-track court under daily monitoring by the High Court.
Legal reforms under the new Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita mandate day-to-day hearings for sexual-offence cases.
Advocate Aparna Hegde commented:
“Justice delayed has long been justice denied for women in rural India. If Parbhani delivers conviction within months, it can be a model.”
The Human Cost
Behind the statistics lies a family shattered.
The survivor’s mother told Sarhind Times in a trembling voice:
“My daughter just wanted to study. We will stand by her, but she must see justice before she sees fear again.”
Neighbours have pooled funds for her treatment and security.
Religious and community leaders jointly appealed for calm, urging citizens to let law, not anger, deliver retribution.
Conclusion: Justice Beyond Punishment
The Parbhani gang-rape case embodies India’s enduring struggle between outrage and reform.
Swift arrests show progress in policing, but true justice lies in prevention, not just punishment.
When every road is lit, every patrol awake, and every citizen alert, such crimes lose the darkness they thrive on.
For now, Parbhani’s people wait—not for headlines, but for a verdict that restores faith.
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