Wednesday, February 18, 2026
News

Pune kidnapping sparks public outrage, police Police launch district-wide hunt

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Pune (Maharashtra) | February 18, 2026 10:20:37 AM IST
A 21-year old girl was kidnapped in Pune by two men while she was with her mother and brother, triggering strong public reactions and protests, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

A case has been registered at Bhigwan Police Station under Pune rural police in Pune district last night.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural Police, Ganesh Biradar said that the accused, who has been identified as Zahir Haroon Sheikh and Ayaan Haroon Sheikh, stopped their bikes and threw red chutney into the eyes of the mother and brother of the victim and kidnapped her.

A district-wide nakabandi has been imposed after the incident to search for and arrest the accused individuals.

"A case of kidnapping has been registered at Bhigwan Police Station last night ... In this case, two youths, identified as Zahir Haroon Sheikh and Ayaan Haroon Sheikh, allegedly stopped a bike and threw red chutney into the eyes of a 21-year-old woman's mother and brother, who were with her. They then kidnapped the 21-year-old woman. Following the incident, a district-wide nakabandi has been imposed, surveillance has been intensified at several toll checkpoints, and police teams have been deployed to search for the accused," he stated.

The incident has sparked outrage among locals. On Tuesday night, people came out onto the roads and staged a protest on the Pune-Solapur Highway, demanding immediate action and the arrest of the accused.

The police officials said multiple teams from Pune Rural Police are conducting searches, while security has been tightened across the district to trace the accused at the earliest. Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Galgotias University asked to vacate AI ...
Kerala: Kollam Vigilance Court grants ba...
ECI announces schedule for biennial Rajy...
'Somnath Chatterjee would've suspended e...
'Disorganised PR spectacle': Rahul Gandh...
'Rahul Gandhi must answer why Kapil Siba...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
J-K registers historic win over Ben... 
PM Modi meets with Finnish counterp... 
"Misinterpreted": Galgotias Univers... 
Kerala: Kollam Vigilance Court gran... 
'Principles established at India AI... 
Netweb launches 'Make in India' AI ... 
12th February-International Day of ... 
Shia LaBeouf arrested at Mardi Gras...