Cops Release Photo Of Pune Bus Rape Accused, Declare Reward Of Rs 1 Lakh For Info

Pune: Police have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the arrest of Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the man accused of raping a 27-year-old woman in Pune on Tuesday. She was raped inside a bus parked in the busy Swargate Bus Stand, which is barely 100 metres from a police station.

Gade, 36, was reportedly out on bail since 2019. He is charged with at least six counts of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district.

The police have set up 13 special teams, including eight from the Crime Branch, to track him down. A massive manhunt has been launched. Teams have been sent to railway stations and bus stands to catch Gade, Smartana Patil, Pune DCP (Zone II), told the ANI. The identification of the accused had been delayed because he had worn a face mask, cops said.

Meanwhile, Junior Home Minister Yogesh Kadam on Thursday said although the woman had lodged a police complaint, media had not been informed to ensure the accused was not alerted.

“This complaint was received, and police started a search within half an hour. But the news was not allowed to come out… this was so the accused would not be alerted and try to escape,” the minister said, as quoted by NDTV.

The rape reportedly took place between 5.45 am and 6 am on Tuesday. The young woman, a domestic help, was waiting to board a bus to her hometown in Satara district. She was accosted by Gade, who, she told the cops, addressed her as ‘didi‘, or ‘sister’.

She said Gade persuaded her that a bus parked in one corner of the depot would take her to her destination. CCTV footage showed the two walking to that bus. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation – under fire for poor security – has replaced guards at the depot and announced an inquiry of its own.

The horrific incident has triggered a predictable political row. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance has trained guns at the ruling Mahayuti combine.

The state’s Congress unit chief, Harshwardhan Sapkal, slammed the BJP-led government in the state for focusing on ‘freebies’ for women at the cost of their safety. The Maharashtra government has vowed to ensure justice for the woman, with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar calling the incident “extremely unfortunate “.