In a serious case highlighting lapses in monitoring externed criminals, the Pimpri Chinchwad police have arrested a 25-year-old externed offender for the alleged rape of a 40-year-old woman. The police have also suspended a constable for failing to keep track of the accused's activities during his mandated externment period.
Arrest and the Alleged Crime
The accused has been identified as Farukh Shaikh, a resident of Balajinagar in Bhosari. According to officials from the Alandi police station, the alleged rape occurred on December 18. The victim approached the Alandi police on December 24 and filed a formal complaint, which set the investigation in motion.
During the probe, a critical fact came to light: Farukh Shaikh was supposed to be outside the district. He had been externed from Pune district for two years in April of the previous year under relevant police orders. However, he blatantly flouted this externment order and had been illegally residing in the Alandi area for the past two months, where the crime took place.
Police Constable Suspended for Dereliction of Duty
Following the arrest, the Pimpri Chinchwad police took disciplinary action against a constable attached to the Bhosari MIDC police station. This officer was specifically tasked with keeping watch on Shaikh's activities during his externment period.
"The police constable was not aware that Shaikh had flouted the externment order and stayed in the Alandi area. He was suspended for dereliction of duties," stated an officer from the Pimpri Chinchwad police. This suspension underscores the accountability expected of officers assigned to monitor externed individuals.
Context of Externment in Pune
This incident brings into focus the system of externment, where known criminals are legally ordered to stay out of a specific district or area to prevent crime. The Pimpri Chinchwad police have been active in this regard, having externed over 300 criminals from the district this year alone.
However, the case of Farukh Shaikh reveals a potential weak link—the follow-up monitoring. In a separate but related incident highlighting the ongoing drive against externed criminals, the Sant Tukaramnagar police arrested another externed criminal, Shahrukh Shaikh (28) from Pimpri, on December 27. A billhook was recovered from him. He too had been externed for two years.
The arrest in the rape case and the subsequent suspension serve as a stark reminder of the consequences when monitoring protocols fail, potentially allowing externed criminals to re-enter and commit serious offenses.
