Pune Bus Rape Horror: Accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade Arrested After Massive Manhunt

Pune: Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the main accused in the horrific Pune Bus Rape case that took the entire nation by shock, has been arrested by the crime branch of the Pune Police, after a massive manhunt. The accused, a repeat offender, had raped a 26-year-old woman inside a parked bus at the Swargate Bus Station in Pune.

Pune Horror: Rape Accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade Arrested 

The man who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary bus at the busy Swargate bus station in Pune, has been arrested by the Pune Police at around midnight, from a village in Pune's Shirur Tehsil. According to the officials, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade was hiding in a farm in Shirur and late at night, he visited a person's house for a meal and that man immediately called up the police, alerting them and eventually leading to his arrest. 

Pune Rape Case Accused To Be Presented Before Court Today

The accused, who is a repeat offender, has been out on bail since 2019, and there have been several cases against him of robbery, theft and chain-snatching. The accused will be presented before Pune Court today and the police is likely to seek his custody, to interrogate him and carry out a proper investigation.

Also Read: CCTV Footage Captures Pune Rape Accused, Massive Police Hunt Underway

Pune Bus Rape: Massive Manhunt Was Launched to Nab the Accused

The horrific rape incident took place on February 25 and since then, the accused was on the run. The Pune Police had formed a total of 13 teams to nab him, out of which eight were from the crime branch and five from the Swargate Police Station. The teams had been deployed at several locations around Maharashtra ; sniffer dogs and drones were also part of the search operation. The drones and sniffer dogs had been deployed within the tracts of sugarcane crop in Pune's Shirur Tehsil. 

Also Read: Massive Search for Pune Rape Accused: Drones Scan Sugarcane Fields, Dog Squad Deployed

Family members of the accused have been interrogated, but they claim that they are unaware of his location. According to reports, the accused managed to escape the search efforts of the police in the city by hiding in a truck filled with vegetables. He later made his way back to his hometown, where he altered his clothing and footwear to help evade capture. A reward of Rs 1 lakh had been announced on the accused by the police; his photo had also been released.

26-Year-Old Woman Raped by Man in Parked Bus at Busy Bus Station in Pune

The victim was a councillor in a hospital and was returning home from work. The horrific incident occurred when the victim, who lives in the Aundh-Baner region, was at the Swargate ST stand in Phaltan, Satara, waiting for a bus to return home after finishing her work. As recounted by the survivor, she was waiting for a bus to Phaltan at a platform in the Satara district around 5:45 am on Tuesday when a man came up to her. He started a conversation, referring to her as 'didi' (sister), and informed her that the bus to Satara was at a different platform. The accused then took the victim to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus and when she hesitated in entering, he convinced her that the vehicle was the right one and that the other passengers were sitting inside. When she entered, he followed and then locked the doors of the bus, raped her before fleeing the spot. 

Also Read: Accused Called Pune Woman ‘Didi’ Before Raping Her, Details Inside

Following the report of the incident, the police quickly took action and used CCTV footage to identify the suspect as Dattatray Ramdas Gade. Although the victim was initially reluctant to file a complaint, she ultimately registered her case at the Swargate Police Station. The woman has been referred for a medical examination at Sassoon General Hospital. The Pune Horror has also sparked a political debate and has raised questions on women's safety in Pune. Vasant More, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, slammed the government and said that the incident happened in front of a security cabin and this is shameful. Another shocking piece of information is that the rape happened a few metres away from the Swargate Police Station which shows that the criminal knew what he was doing and he had no fear to be caught.