Rape inside MSRTC bus: Pune police announce Rs 1 lakh reward for information about absconding accused
MUMBAI: Pune Police on Thursday announced a Rs 1 lakh reward for anyone providing information on 37-year-old Dattatray Gade, accused of raping a 26-year-old woman near Swargate bus depot.
The police have formed 13 teams to track down the accused and have released his photograph. Of these teams, eight are from the Crime Branch, while five are from Swargate Police Station, actively working on the ground.
Gade reportedly evaded capture by hiding in a truck carrying vegetables. Police have deployed sniffer dogs and drones to search vast sugarcane fields near his hometown in Ahilyanagar district.
The height of the plants, which can reach up to 10 feet, has made it difficult for officers to locate him on foot. Gade is suspected to have changed his clothes and shoes after reaching his hometown.
The accused, aged 36, has a criminal record, with at least six charges of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar. He had been out on bail since 2019.
The incident occurred early Tuesday when the victim was waiting at Swargate bus depot for a bus to her hometown in Satara district. Gade approached her, claiming that her bus would not arrive at the platform and directed her to another platform. He then convinced her to board a specific bus, which was empty. The assault took place just 100 metres from a police station.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said the accused had been visiting multiple bus stands in the days leading up to the incident, possibly as part of his modus operandi.
"The accused fled by bus after the incident, and his movements have been tracked. Once he was identified, it was revealed that over the past four to five days, he had been to multiple bus stands. He was moving in a well-dressed manner, with a neatly tucked-in shirt. Possibly, this was part of his modus operandi," Kadam said.
"Once the accused is arrested, we will have more details. We hope to arrest him very soon," he added.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune, assured strict action against the accused.
"The culprit in this case will not be spared, be it whoever he is. Strict action will be taken against him," Pawar said.