Udaipur, February 18: A new twist has emerged in the alleged kidnapping case of a 21-year-old girl in Baramati, Pune district, Maharashtra. Initially, it was reported that the girl was abducted in front of her mother and brother, but she has now released a video denying these claims.
In the video, the girl, identified as Vaishnavi Raju Thorat, stated, “I have been in a relationship with Zaheer Sheikh for the past nine years. There was no coercion involved in the incident that occurred yesterday. I came of my own free will. I was not kidnapped. Please do not believe the rumors.”
The incident took place on Tuesday evening in the Bhigwan police station area of Indapur taluka. According to the First Information Report filed by the victim’s family, the incident occurred around 4 PM on February 17. Following the kidnapping allegations, public outrage erupted, leading to protests.
On Wednesday, local markets remained closed in protest. The FIR states that on February 17, around 4 PM, two Muslim youths stopped the girl, her mother, and her brother while they were returning home from behind Anand Hotel. The accused allegedly threw chili powder in the eyes of the girl’s mother and brother before forcibly taking her away in a vehicle.
The accused have been identified as Zaheer Haroon Sheikh and Ayaan Haroon Sheikh, against whom a kidnapping case has been registered at the Bhigwan police station. Immediately after the alleged abduction, family members, relatives, and villagers gathered outside the police station to protest and demand swift action. Tensions escalated in the area, with a large crowd remaining outside the police station even after 11 PM.
Angry protesters blocked the Pune-Solapur National Highway for a short time by burning tires, disrupting vehicle movement. Additionally, shops in the local village market remained closed in protest against the incident.
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Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.