Pune: The investigation into the gang rape of a college student in Bopdev Ghat has been transferred to the Crime Branch by Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.

The incident took place on the night of October 3, when the victim, accompanied by a male friend, was attacked and raped by three men in a remote part of Bopdev Ghat.

A case was initially registered at Kondhwa Police Station, but due to the gravity of the crime, the investigation has now been assigned to specialized units in the Crime Branch.

The Kondhwa police, along with Crime Branch teams, were conducting parallel investigations into the case. A 25-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh has been arrested, while two accomplices remain at large.

A significant search operation is underway, with 60 police teams deployed to track down the absconding suspects.

The perpetrators had come to Pune with the intention of committing robberies and had prior knowledge of the Bopdev Ghat area, where they had carried out previous crimes.

Before executing their plan, they switched off their mobile phones and consumed alcohol in a secluded area of the ghat. Around 10 PM, they noticed a couple sitting alone and attacked them. Threatening the couple with a sickle, the attackers gang-raped the girl before fleeing the scene.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from various locations, including a petrol pump in the Saswad area, where the suspects were captured on camera. Further investigation revealed that one of the suspects had a criminal history, which helped the police identify and locate him.

Based on technical evidence and eyewitness accounts, one of the suspects has been arrested, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining culprits.