18-yr-old raped in Pune, accused arrested

An 18-year-old college girl was allegedly raped by a man here when she approached him to seek directions after she lost her way, following which the accused has been arrested, police said today.
The girl, a student of a reputed college here, who was new to the city lost her way near Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhawan while going to meet a friend at another educational institute on Monday late night, an officer at Bund Garden police station said.
While she was near Maldhakka Chowk, she approached the accused, Novel Joseph (32), currently unemployed and who earlier worked as a bouncer at a club, to tell her directions to the college, he said.

She also called her friend from the accused's mobile phone asking for directions.
The accused, on the pretext of offering her help, took her to an isolated place at Range Hills Estate in Khadki area of the city and allegedly raped her on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, he said.
He also took her photographs in objectionable condition through his mobile phone.

Later, the girl managed to reach a petrol pump at around 2.15 AM on Tuesday where she saw two police personnel on night patrol.
With their help, the girl filed a complaint against the accused under sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 66 (E) of Information Technology Act, the police officer said.

Later, police arrested Joseph on September 30 in connection with the offence, he added.