Ratnagiri shocker: Autorickshaw driver 'rapes' nursing trainee; locals block roads

Hundreds of locals took to the streets in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra to protest after an autorickshaw driver allegedly raped a young nursing trainee after spiking the drinking water he gave her.

Police said they were hunting for the unnamed autorickshaw driver who committed the crime when ferrying the 19-year-old victim home.

The crime

After drinking the water spiked by the driver the trainee nurse lost consciousness. The driver then allegedly took the victim to a deserted place and allegedly sexually assaulted her.

On regaining consciousness, the young woman telephoned her family, who took her to a hospital, where she has been admitted.

Police said they had registered a FIR and were scanning CCTV footage to zero in on the accused.

Protests against rape

The shocking incident triggered street protests in Ratnagiri. Residents blocked several roads for hours on Monday night, demanding the swift arrest of the rapist. This incident has sparked an outcry among the nursing community in Ratnagiri as well.

Nurses and hospital staff staged protests outside the hospital, demanding the death penalty for those responsible for the crime. The protests escalated as the hospital staff, along with other supporters, blocked traffic in several areas in Ratnagiri. They held banners and chanted slogans, calling for immediate action against the culprits.

The situation has created significant disruption in the city, with authorities urging that the investigation will be taken up as a priority.

The Ratnagiri incident comes after the sexual assault on two kindergarten girls in Badlapur in Maharashtra’s Thane district and amid the continuing outrage over the rape and murder of a Kolkata nurse.