Draft charges to be filed April 8 in Bopdev Ghat case

The state prosecution plans to present draft charges on April 8 related to the Bopdev Ghat gang rape case. This was announced during a session in Pune. The case has drawn significant attention since the incident happened on October 3 last year. The police have filed a chargesheet against two suspects, 20-year-old Chandrakumar Raviprasad Kanaujia and Shoaib (alias Akhtar Babu Shaikh), who were arrested in October. Special public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar said they will also charge a third suspect who is currently on the run. Pawar explained that the prosecution will seek to conduct a trial in the absence of the fleeing suspect. This is allowed under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, which permits trial when someone is declared a proclaimed offender and has evaded arrest. The rape survivor, who is a student from Gujarat, was with a friend near Bopdev Ghat when the attack occurred. They were approached by three men, who assaulted the friend and restrained him before raping the woman.