Pune Rape Accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade Arrested

The Pune Crime Branch on Friday arrested Dattatray Ramdas Gade, who is accused of raping a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Swargate bus station.

According to reports, the survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return to Phaltan, about 100 km from Pune. The accused allegedly deceived her by falsely claiming that her bus was stationed elsewhere.

He then lured her into an MSRTC Shivsahi bus inside the depot, where the crime was committed.

In response to the incident, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed an immediate security audit of all bus stations and depots statewide. He has also mandated the removal of all unregistered buses and vehicles seized by transport offices from bus stations by April 15.

Highlighting the increasing number of female passengers, Sarnaik stressed the need for more female security personnel at bus depots. Additionally, he has instructed authorities to fill the vacant Chief Security and Vigilance Officer post in the State Transport Corporation with an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.

The rape incident sparked public outrage, with members of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP staging a protest at the Swargate bus depot on Thursday. Protesters demanded strict action, including capital punishment for the accused, and called for enhanced safety measures for women at public transport hubs.

Meanwhile, Minister Sarnaik has also ordered a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager of Swargate Bus Depot, holding them accountable for the lapses that led to the February 25 incident.