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The Pune police have arrested the prime accused in the four-year-old rape and gruesome murder case of Nayana Pujari, a software engineer. The accused was on the run for over one-and-half years.
Nayana was working with a software company at Kharadi, where Raut was employed as a driver. On October 7, 2009, Raut and his three accomplishes, Mahesh Thakur, Raju Chowdhury and Vishwas Kadam first raped and then killed Nayana, and then dumped her body in the Zarewadi forest, about 50 kilometres from Pune. The case had aroused widespread protest and indignation at the time.\
Initially, the police arrested all four accused among whom Chaudhari turned approver. However, Raut managed to fool the police and went absconding from the SassoonHospital, where he was admitted, on September 17, 2011. He had been evading the investigators until he was arrested. Meanwhile, the issue was raised in the state assembly, and five special teams were formed for the investigation.
The issue assumed significance more after the Nirbhaya episode in New Delhi and Nayana became a symbol for crimes against the women in Pune. Finally, the anti-dacoity squad of the Pune police arrested Raut at the Ahmednagar bus stand while it was earlier reported that he was arrested in New Delhi.
The investigation revealed that he was also involved in kidnapping and murder of other two women. Nayana's husband, Abhijit has expressed satisfaction over the development.
The investigation found that while he was absconding, Raut worked at a roadside dhaba in Amritsar, Punjab for some days. He moved to New Delhi and assumed a new identity as Ravi Ashok Bhalla and worked at a laundry in the Trilokpuri area. He had even procured a PAN card in that name.
He also worked at a private company as office boy. When the police team reached Delhi, he ran again, and came back to Maharashtra where he was arrested. He was brought to Pune and will be produced in the court on Saturday.