The Pune Police on Friday arrested Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the prime accused in the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary bus at Swargate bus station. The arrest followed a large-scale manhunt involving drones, a dog squad, and multiple police teams.
Confirming the development, DCP Smarthana Patil (Zone 2, Pune City Police) said, “Accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade has been formally arrested.”
Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune district, has a criminal record with at least six cases of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching registered against him in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He had been out on bail since 2019 in connection with one of these offenses.
The Pune Police launched an intensive operation to track down Gade after he allegedly raped the woman inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Shiv Shahi bus at Swargate bus station on Tuesday. To locate him, authorities deployed drones and a dog squad in Shirur tehsil, while at least 13 police teams worked tirelessly to apprehend him.
Officials said that more than 100 personnel from Pune City and Pune Rural Police conducted searches in and around Gunat village, including sugarcane fields, using drones and sniffer dogs.
Swargate bus station, one of the busiest depots of the MSRTC, serves as a key transit hub for intercity travel.
According to the police complaint filed by the survivor, the incident took place early Tuesday morning when she was waiting for a bus to Phaltan in Satara district. Around 5:45 am, Gade approached her, addressing her as ‘didi’ (sister), and falsely claimed that the bus for Satara was stationed at a different platform.
Unaware of his intentions, the woman followed him to an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus parked in a secluded area of the premises. She hesitated to board when she noticed that the lights inside the bus were off. However, Gade convinced her that it was the correct vehicle. Once inside, he followed her and allegedly raped her before fleeing the scene.
The survivor, who works in the medical field, later reported the crime to the police, triggering a swift investigation that culminated in Gade’s arrest. Authorities are now completing formalities related to his remand and further legal proceedings.
Also Read: Pune rape case: 13 police teams hunt accused, ₹1 lakh reward
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