Nayana Pujari Case : 4.5 years yet no verdict

Justice for Pune's raped & murdered Nayana Pujari still a distant dream

Yogesh Ashok Raut being taken into custody after 1.5 years. , DNA Research & Archives

Written By

Chaitraly Deshmukh

Source

DNA

Updated: Apr 5, 2014, 07:19 PM IST

While Delhi gang rape and Shakti mill gang rape cases saw speedy verdicts, the fate of Pune-based software techie Nayana Pujari, allegedly gang-raped and brutally murdered in 2009 has not come to full closure. Nayana Pujari was from Karad, was married and was a law abiding citizen.

A rude awakening

In 2009, as the city was transforming into the IT-hub it is today, Nayana Pujari was allegedly repeatedly raped and eventually murdered by a cab driver and his friends. She is believed to have been forced into a cab and then driven to 3 different locations, her ATM card and belongings stolen and misused over and over again. Her husband is still fighting to bring justice to her soul.

I was asked to pay 3 lakhsNayana's husband Abhijit started a trust in her name, and he has taken to counseling rape victims and destitute women. Pujari recalls, "I have become frustrated and helpless man. The cases which came for hearing took place after my wife’s death, and are getting justice, but what about my case?”Pujari had to travel to Mumbai and back for 6 months just to get an appointment with the Special Public Prosecutor. “Later, I was asked to pay Rs 3 lakhs as a security deposit to get a special public prosecutor assigned. The case is still in trial.” During this period, the kingpin, Yogesh Raut went absconding.

I was completely shattered. In June 2013 Raut was nabbed, however, since then there has been no movement in Pujari’s case. Pujari said ”Our only satisfaction is that all the accused are behind bars. It is good that in some of the cases, victims are getting their due justice. But it hurts a lot when I see my own case stuck.”

Four years , no movementDespite the case being in a special womens’ court, Pujari is not convinced it is progressing much. “Already four and half years have gone, is such justice fair?”. Pujari has gotten back to working and has gotten offers to move to a different place, even better paying jobs. “My focus is on my wife's case. I cannot move yet", He added.Chargesheet and the accused namedThe police had filed a chargesheet in the case on January 12, 2010. The chargesheet named Yogesh Ashok Raut, Mahesh Balasaheb Thakur, Vishwas Hindurao Kadam and Rajesh Pandurang Chaudhari as accused.

October 7, 2009According to the prosecution’s case, Kadam, Raut and Thakur, later in the evening, parked at a bus stop near Synechron and accosted Nayana as she was returning home after work. They allegedly took her to Wagholi (outskirt of Pune) in the cab and raped her. They had also allegedly called Chaudhari to the spot, who also then raped Nayana. After this, they are said to have stolen Nayana’s ATM card and forced the PIN number from her. Thakur is said to have jotted down the PIN number on a visiting card, after which Raut and Raut went to Viman Nagar to withdraw Rs 61,000 from her account.

Phulgoan PhataAfter the alleged theft, Nayana was then taken to Phulgaon Phata-Tulapur road, where she was gang-raped again in a vehicle. Three men claim to have seen a disrobed Nayana, with the semi-nude accused in the cab at Wadhu Phata around 11 pm, to which the accused retorted that she was a commercial sex worker. According to the prosecution’s case, half an hour later, Raut and Chaudhari were seen at Hotel Sonali at Phulgaon Phata, from where they ordered food. Around midnight, the cab was seen at the Shiv Malhar Hotel at Dawadi village in the area, where the accused purchased a bottle of mineral water.

Strangled and beatenNayana was finally taken to a secluded spot at Jarewadi phata, where she was strangled and killed by hitting her head to a boulder. The accused also took her gold bangle, wrist watch, mobile phone and handbag. After she died, her ATM card was used at ATMs in Kalyani Nagar and Khadki Bazar to withdraw more money. Nayana’s bangle, ATM card and a visiting card with Nayana’s PIN on the back had been recovered from Chaudhari’s house following Raut’s statement. Nayana’s ATM had been recovered at Markal road. More cash withdrawn from Nayana’s account was recovered from Rauts house and Nayana’s handbag was fished out from the Indrayani river near Moshi by the information provided by Raut. Kadam had allegedly given Nayana’s bangle to a friend. The knife used by the gang to terrorize Nayana had also been recovered. Five key witnesses have identified the accused in an identification parade. Although there are no eyewitness to the rape and murder, there have been at least six people who can prove the intention and the involvement of the arrested persons in the case. According to the prosecution, hours before Nayana was kidnapped, gang-raped and murdered, the same gang had attempted to kidnap another woman from Dighi.