Pune, 28th September 2026: A 52-year-old contractual sanitation worker with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Vishrantwadi.
The accused, identified as Jaising Bhanudas Sathe, a resident of Kamgar Nagar, was arrested by Vishrantwadi Police after a complaint was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
According to the police, the incident took place on September 12. The girl's mother took her to a private hospital on September 22, following which the doctor informed the police. Based on the mother's statement, the police registered a case against Sathe and arrested him.
Following the medical report and supplementary statements from the girl and her mother, the police added Section 65(2) of the BNS and Sections 4, 6 and 12 of the POCSO Act to the case. Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Panhale said the report had been submitted to the court.
He added that the accused and the complainant are not related and that Sathe had been remanded to Yerawada Central Jail. Further investigation is underway.
Meanwhile, residents staged a roadblock outside Vishrantwadi Police Station for nearly two and a half hours, alleging delays in registering the complaint and protesting against the alleged failure to arrest a woman co-accused in the case.
Shiv Sena leader Sushma Andhare joined the protest and demanded strict punishment for the accused. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) Chilumula Rajnikanth held discussions with the protesters and assured them that action would be taken against those found responsible.
The protest led to significant traffic congestion on Vishrantwadi Road, disrupting vehicular movement in the area.
