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

PUNE: 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 on Tuesday 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.

#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: SSP Sandeep Singh Gill says, “Yesterday at around 3:30 pm, a 21-year-old girl was walking with her family near the Vigwan police station when 2 boys from her neighbourhood stopped them and took her away in their 4-wheeler. Upon receiving this… pic.twitter.com/hVN7DOjvHn

— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2026

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 on Tuesday 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.

#WATCH | Pune: Angry Villagers Protest After 21-Year-Old Woman Abducted In Front Of Family Members In Indapur

Read more: https://t.co/12g3tfNRjq #PuneNews #Maharashtra #womenssafety @AnkitShukla5454 pic.twitter.com/46p43YjOqk

— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) February 18, 2026

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)