In a shocking incident in Pune, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's faction has been held for allegedly raping a young woman and a minor girl on the premises of an NGO run by him, officials said on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Shantanu Kukde, who runs an NGO named Red House Foundation in the Nana Peth area of the city, they added.
According to the police, Kukde approached the woman and the girl under the pretext of providing help through his NGO. "Kukde brought both of them to the office of his NGO and arranged their accommodation. He established illicit physical relations with them," said Sandip Singh Gill, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) of Pune Police.
FIR Lodged
Umesh Gitte, Senior Police Inspector (Samarth Police Station), added, "We have registered an FIR on March 25. Accordingly, Kukde has been arrested under various sections of the BNS and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. He is currently in police custody. After the remand date ends, we will produce him before the court and demand the extension of his custody."
Meanwhile, during the inspection of Kukde's NGO, several empty liquor bottles were found, raising suspicions about activities taking places on the premises.
