The 37-year-old history sheeter Dattatraya Ramdas Gade is suspected of raping a woman inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus that was parked at Swargate depot on February 25. The Pune city police have offered a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anyone with information regarding Gade.
On Thursday, the police also made public the picture of Gade, a resident of Shirur taluka’s Gunat village who had previously been booked by the Pune Rural police with theft and robbery. They stated that the informants’ identities would be kept private and that they could reach police Sub-Inspector Punam Patil at 8600444569 and senior police inspector Yuvraj Nandre at 9881670659.
Gade has been evading capture for more than 48 hours, and the city police have stepped up their search for him. According to the police, they are looking into whether Gade has ever been the victim of sexual assault.
Around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the 26-year-old woman while she was waiting to board a bus to her hometown in Satara district at the Swargate bus depot. The victim was on a semi-luxury MSRTC bus called the Shivshahi, which was empty. According to the authorities, the bus’s windows are continuously closed because it was air-conditioned.
Political and other groups protested the incident, which happened barely over a hundred meters from the Swargate police station. In accordance with sections 64 (rape) and 351 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), authorities at the Swargate station have filed a case against Gade.
To find the guilty, the police are looking through CCTV footage at Swargate bus terminal and other places after questioning some of Gade’s friends and family. The bus where the crime was committed has been inspected by forensic specialists. The bus driver’s statement has been recorded by the police.