Pune: Shoaib Akhtar alias Shoaib Babu Sheikh, the main accused in the Bopdev Ghat gang rape case, is set to undergo a DNA test, as ordered by the court on Wednesday (October 16).
The police informed the court that samples of Sheikh's blood, nails, and saliva would be sent to the forensic lab for examination. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) A.A. Kulkarni extended Sheikh’s police custody until October 22 for further investigation.
The gang rape incident occurred on October 3, 2024, when a young woman visiting Bopdev Ghat with a friend was threatened with a sickle and assaulted.
Sheikh, who had absconded after the crime, was apprehended by the Pune Crime Branch from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. His accomplice, Chandrakumar Raviprasad Kanojia, was arrested earlier, and another accomplice remains at large. The police have already remanded Kanojia to judicial custody in Yerawada Jail.
The police described the actions of the accused as heinous, stating that the victim was threatened with a sickle, and the perpetrators robbed her of a gold chain, a gold pendant, and a silver ring.
Investigators are working to recover the stolen items and the sickle used in the crime. The accused fled the scene on a two-wheeler, which has yet to be recovered.
The police are also investigating whether anyone provided shelter to Sheikh while he was on the run. Public Prosecutor Amrapali Kasture requested an extension of Sheikh’s custody to conduct a potency test, and the court accepted this request.
Inspector Yuvraj Hande from Unit 5 of the Crime Branch is leading the investigation under the supervision of Additional Commissioner of Police Shailesh Balkawade, Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Pingle, and Assistant Commissioner Ganesh Ingle.
