70-Hour Manhunt Ends, Pune Bus Rape Accused Hunted Down After Tip-Off Leads Police to Shirur Farm

Pune Swargate Bus Station Rape Case: The Pune Police Crime Branch early on Friday arrested the accused who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Swargate bus station, one of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) busiest bus terminals. Accused Dattatray Gade (37), a history-sheeter out on bail since 2019, was hiding at a farm in Shirur Tehsil of Pune district. He will be produced before the court later in the day.

The accused is named in half a dozen theft, robbery, and chain-snatching cases in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. 

Pune Police had launched a massive manhunt to nab the prime accused and have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to his arrest. Since Thursday, 13 teams of the Crime Branch were deployed at various locations around the state to track down the accused who was on the run since Tuesday. Sniffer dogs and drones were also a part of the more than 70 hours long search operation.

As per reports, accused Dattatray Gade was hunted down followed by an alert call received by the police from a man whose house was visited by the accused for a meal late last night. Reports also suggested that he switched off his mobile phone and as using a mask to hide his identity after fleeing the crime scene. 

A senior police officer told PTI, "Gade was brought to Pune by 2 AM. He was sent for a medical examination and formally arrested. The accused will be produced in court later in the day." 

‘I Have Made A Big Mistake…’: Accused Gade Confesses to the Crime

The Pune bus rape accused, who was arrested early on Friday morning, has confessed to committing the crime at the Swargate bus station. As per latest information, before being nabbed by the police, he told his family, “I have made a big mistake. I must surrender.” Last night, the accused visited his relative's house, asked for food and a bottle of water and left. His family members then alerted the police. The police arrested accused Gade from a paddy field where he was hiding in his native Shirur tehsil.

"The search operation in sugarcane fields with drones and dog sqauds was stopped at night. However, we received information that Gade had visited a house asking for food. We rushed to the spot, but he managed to flee. The family in the house gave him a bottle of water," a police official told PTI.

What Happened At Swargate Bus Station On February 25?

The horrific incident came to light after a 26-year-old working woman was allegedly raped inside a state transport bus parked at Swargate bus station at around 5.30 AM on Tuesday. When the victim was waiting for a bus to return home from work to Phaltan, she was misled by the accused. The accused initiated a conversation with the woman by calling her ‘Didi’ and told her that the bus she was waiting for has arrived at another platform and took her into an empty and isolated MSRTC Shivsahi bus. The crime was allegedly committed inside the parked vehicle.

Reportedly, the devastated victim took another bus to her hometown later and there she spoke to her friend about the assault and filed a police complaint.

Pune Rape Case Sparks Uproar

Amid massive uproar over the Pune bus rape case, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered an immediate security audit of all bus stations and depots across the state. He also noted the need to increase the number of female security guards at bus stations. He directed his teams to remove all unregistered buses by April 15 and ordered a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus depot manager of the Swargate bus station.

NCW Demands Swift Justice For The Victim

Taking suo motu cognizance of the shocking rape incident, the National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar wrote a letter to the state Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla. She asked the police to submit both the investigation report and a copy of the complaint by the victim.