MUMBAI: Hours after the arrest of the Pune bus rape accused, Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Friday talked tough on law and order, asking police to take strong action against the people involved in crime without succumbing to any pressure.
“In Swargate bus stand rape case, harshest punishment will be given to the accused, but in other cases also, police should not come under pressure,” Pawar said. The police come under the home ministry portfolio held by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“The image of Maharashtra should not get tarnished by such incidents. Maharashtra is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji where Swargate bus stand rape-like incident is happening that is not good for our state’s image. The police need to be strict while dealing against such crimes,” he said.
After a hunt of nearly 100 hours, Pune police arrested the 37-year-old rape accused Dattaray Gade. According to police, Gade after committing the crime went to his relative’s place at Shirur. “The accused confessed to his relative that he has made mistake and he wants to surrender. Then he switched off his mobile phone. Later a relative of Gade called police and informed them about Gade,” a police officer said.
“Police with the help of a dog squad searched a sugar cane field but they did not find him. Villagers of Gunat noticed Gade who was hiding in a narrow path of a canal in a paddy field and informed police. The police arrested the rape accused and produced his before the judicial magistrate first class court. The court remanded him in 12 days of police custody,” the officer said.
Former state home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh accused Fadnavis of being unable to do justice to the home department, which needs an independent minister.