₹1L reward for info on Pune rape accused

Pune: The Pune Police on Thursday intensified its search for the accused in connection with the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune’s Swargate bus stand on Tuesday morning, even as leaders including deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde called for the death penalty over the heinous crime

Pune: The Pune Police on Thursday intensified its search for the accused in connection with the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune’s Swargate bus stand on Tuesday morning, even as leaders including deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde called for the death penalty over the heinous crime.

Pune, India -February 25, 2025-Police bandobast at Swargate ST Stand in Pune, India,Thursday, -February 27, 2025-HT photo

Amid frantic efforts to nab the accused, identified as 37-year-old Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the police announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information and issued a poster with his photos.

“A reward of ₹1 lakh will be given to the person providing information about his whereabouts,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said.

The poster featuring his photograph urged people to provide information at 020-24442769 or 9881670659. Police have assured informants that their identity will be kept confidential.

Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, has been at large for over two days, and 13 police teams have been formed to nab him.He is accused in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district, and was out on bail since 2019.

Pune City and Pune Rural Police also launched a search operation in Gunat village, including in sugarcane fields, with drones and dog squads, officials said. More than 100 cops reached the village, officials said.

Gade reportedly returned home after committing the crime, and police have recovered his clothes and shoes from the house, deputy commissioner of police (zone II) Smartana Patil said. “The accused wore a mask during the crime, making identification difficult. However, through informers and CCTV footage analysis, we confirmed it was Gade,” Patil said.

CCTV footage shows Gade stepping out of the bus with the survivor. “We suspect he was at the bus terminus for bag-lifting. We have deployed 13 teams to track and arrest him at the earliest,” Patil added.

Swargate in Pune is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). According to the survivor, she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in Satara district at one of the platforms around 5.45am on Tuesday, when Gade engaged her in conversation, calling her “Tai” (the Marathi word for sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.

He took her to an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus parked elsewhere on the premises of the bus stand, police said. As the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. Gade then followed her and raped her, the woman, who works in the medical field, told police.

Following the incident, Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik announced to dispose of all the scrapped buses and other vehicles parked in MSRTC depots before April 15.

Sarnaik told reporters that around 15,000 buses, including hired ones, will be fitted with GPS, panic buttons, and CCTV cameras. He demanded that the vacant post of security and vigilance officer in MSRTC be filled with an IPS officer.

DyCM Shinde calls for capital punishment

Maharashtra deputy CM Shinde said on Thursday that the government would try to ensure capital punishment for the culprit, even as Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane pitched for restarting the “encounter squad”.

“The Pune incident is very unfortunate. Whoever the accused is, no matter which party he belongs to, he will not be spared. Such people should be hanged. The damaged bus in the depot should be auctioned soon,” Shinde told reporters.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut drew parallels between the crime and the 2012 Delhi gang rape case and targeted Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar over law and order.

Crimes against women have increased dramatically in Maharashtra, Raut said.

“By giving ₹1,500 a month, have you purchased women’s self-respect,” he said, referring to the Ladki Bahin scheme that seeks to provide financial assistance to women.