Pune Bus Rape Case: Ex-CJI Chandrachud Calls For Swift Justice, Says 'Laws Made For Women Should Be...'

The investigation into the alleged rape of a woman inside a bus at Swargate depot in Pune, Maharashtra, has intensified, with growing demands for the strictest punishment for the absconding suspect. Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has also echoed this call.

Amid mounting pressure from the opposition, which has compared the incident to the 2012 Delhi Nirbhaya gang rape, police are making frantic efforts to solve the case.

Photo Credit: PTI

Multiple teams have been formed to apprehend the suspect, Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), a habitual offender who has been on the run since the attack took place on a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus early on Tuesday morning.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, quoted by news agency PTI, announced that a reward of ₹1 lakh would be offered to anyone providing information on the suspect's whereabouts.

What did DY Chandrachud say about the Pune rape case?

Speaking on Thursday, former CJI DY Chandrachud emphasised that while major changes had been made to the law following the Nirbhaya case, legal reforms alone could not prevent such crimes.

He stated, "There is a great responsibility on society, and apart from this, laws should also be properly implemented."

He further stressed, "Laws made for women should be enforced effectively. Women should feel safe wherever they go. It is important that in such cases, there is a thorough investigation, strict action, swift trials, and punishment. The legal system and the police have a major responsibility."

The Incident

Swargate, one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in Pune, was the scene of the crime.

According to the survivor, she was waiting for a bus to Phaltan in Satara district at around 5:45 am on Tuesday when a man approached her and engaged her in conversation, addressing her as "didi" (sister). He informed her that the bus for Satara was stationed at another platform and led her to an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus parked elsewhere on the premises.

As the lights inside the bus were off, she hesitated to board, but the man convinced her it was the correct vehicle. Once inside, he followed her in and raped her before fleeing. The woman, who works in the medical field, later reported the attack to the police.