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Dattaray Ramdas Gade, 37, was apprehended by police in a paddy field after allegedly raping a woman in a parked bus in Pune.
Dattaray Gade, the accused in Pune bus rape case. (Photo: X)
Pune Bus Rape Case News: Dattaray Ramdas Gade, 37, who was apprehended in a paddy field by police in an extensive manhunt after allegedly raping a woman on a parked bus in Pune, has possibly committed similar crimes before.
After a search operation spanning over 70 hours, Gade was apprehended inside a paddy field in a village in the Shirur area of the Pune district. The police used drones and sniffer dogs to track down the accused, who was brought to Pune by 2 am on Friday.
“The accused was detained from Gunat village last night around 10 pm. People from the village helped us in nabbing the accused. After completing the formalities, he was arrested, and he will be produced before the Court today,” said Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar.
“A special counsel will be appointed and we will try to fast-track the case,” he added. “We believe that we will succeed in preventing such cases in the future, and we are working in this regard. I thank the people of Gunat on behalf of the Pune police.”
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Accused Likely Involved In Similar Crimes, Looked For Victims At Night
According to the police commissioner, Gade is reported to have frequented bus stands at night in search of potential victims and is likely involved in similar cases prior to the bus rape case on Tuesday.
A recent technical analysis of his mobile phone data over the past two months has revealed that he would remain at home in the village during the day and then travel to Shivajinagar, Shirur, and Swargate bus stands in Pune at night, Kumar informed.
Gade, a history-sheeter who has been named in half a dozen theft, robbery and chain-snatching cases in the Pune and Ahilyanagar districts, was briefly taken into custody by Swargate police for questioning in connection with a suspected mobile theft. He has been out on bail since 2019 for one of the offences.
It also came to light that the accused has repeatedly attempted to gain the trust of some women by engaging in sweet talks and collecting their mobile numbers.
Pune Bus Rape Case
A 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a state transport bus parked at Swargate bus stand at around 5.30 am. Gade allegedly misled the woman, who was waiting for her bus, into an isolated bus, stating that the bus she was waiting for was parked somewhere else.
He allegedly committed the crime inside the parked bus in the middle of the city’s busy bus stand, which was nearly 100 metres from a police station. The incident sparked outrage and protests across Pune, with the NCP and MNS planning protests against the incident.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the police to arrest the accused immediately. The police deployed drones and a dog squad in Gunat village to apprehend the accused, and 13 teams comprising over 100 cops were part of the operation.
Police also ramped up security at key entry and exit points of Pune, along with important bus stands and railway stations. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was also announced for anyone providing information about Gade’s whereabouts.