A manhunt has been launched after a man reportedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the busy Swargate bus stand in Pune, Maharashtra. The shocking instance transpired on 25th February. Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused with a criminal record is now evading capture and efforts are underway to capture him. Cases of chain-snatching and theft have already been filed against him. Swargate is one of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) largest bus junctions.
A working woman was on her way to her village and “was waiting for a bus to go back to her home around 5:30 to 6:30 am,” according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Smartana Patil on 26th February. “A man came and said that the bus to her place had been parked somewhere else and took the woman near the parked vehicle,” she disclosed.
The man persuaded the woman to enter the bus after she claimed there was no light inside by offering to let her use a torch to see if anyone else was seated aboard. “When the woman entered the bus, the man shut the bolt and raped the woman,” police added.
#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra | Zone 2, DCP Smarthana Patil says, "A working woman was waiting for the bus to go back to her home…A man came and said that the bus to your place has been parked somewhere else and took the woman near the parked bus…Then, the man raped the… https://t.co/D80Z6vz5n6 pic.twitter.com/yme7CRTSCs
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2025
According to Patil, after the occurrence, the woman caught a different bus to her hometown and a friend urged her to report the matter to the police. The official remarked, “A complaint has been registered. We have identified the accused, and we are making all the efforts to nab him. The accused is identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade. The victim is stable right now.” Police used CCTV evidence to identify the perpetrator and many teams have been established to find him.
The woman unveiled that at around 5:30 in the morning, she was at one of the platforms waiting for a bus to Paithan when a man came up to her and informed her that the vehicle arrived at a different station. Afterwards, he led her to a bus that was parked in a vacant area on the expansive station grounds. The victim informed authorities that while it was still dark, he followed her inside the bus, raped her and then absconded.
Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar expressed, “I urge young girls and women to be cautious in public spaces and not trust strangers blindly. They should seek assistance from the authorities and prioritize their safety. Society has dangerous elements, and their numbers are increasing by the day. We must remain vigilant.” She affirmed that to guarantee prompt justice, the administration has been directed to speed up the investigation and offer counseling to the woman.
Meanwhile, members of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) broke windows and ruined furnishings in the security office and female activists chanted anti-government slogans. “The incident that took place here, happened in front of the security cabin. If a woman is raped in front of a security cabin, nobody has the right to sit there,” party leader Vasant More justified the attack.
#WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vasant More along with other party leaders, holds a protest at the Swargate bus stand over the alleged rape of a 26-year-old woman. pic.twitter.com/du9aQCMJyL
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2025
“There is a police post nearby and the area is routinely patrolled. Still, such an assault takes place at Swargate, which shows that anti-social elements do not have any fear of law. The home department has failed to curb crime in Pune. The trial of this case should be held in a fast-track court and the accused must get a severe punishment,” voiced Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule.
