Mumbai/Pune: Police Thursday announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information about the history-sheeter who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune’s Swargate bus station and deployed drones as part of their manhunt, officials said.
Amid the frantic police efforts to make a breakthrough, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut drew parallels between the crime and the 2012 Delhi gang rape and targeted Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar over law and order.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said 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 accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), is named in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district. He has been out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences.
As Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, remained at large for over two days, officials said 13 police teams have been formed to nab him.
“A reward of Rs 1 lakh will be given to the person providing information about his whereabouts,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar told PTI.
Another police official said the information could be shared at 020-24442769 or 9881670659, assuring that the informer’s identity would be kept secret.
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, they said.
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 5.45 am on Tuesday, when Gade engaged her in conversation, calling her ‘didi’ (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. 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, 2025.
Addressing media at Mantralaya, Sarnaik said 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.
Sarnaik said MSRTC has around 2,700 security guards and they are exploring if the number can be upped with a 15-20 per cent increase in female guards.
It has also emerged that the depot manager of Swargate bus station had complained to police against anti-social elements on the premises, just three days before the crime.
In a letter to the Swargate police station February 22, the depot manager said private agents and some transgender persons were looting and harassing passengers.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam blamed the private security guards at the bus station and said the depot manager should have been more alert. He hastened to add that he was not claiming the police had no role in preventing such incidents.
“A team under the senior inspector of Swargate police station had carried out patrolling in the area at 1:30 am and 3:30am (on the day of the incident). They have not kept tight security so it is the responsibility of the depot manager,” claimed Kadam.
Asked about the depot manager writing to cops, Kadam said one cannot “run away (from responsibility)” by submitting a letter.
He said, “A pervert sweet-talks and brainwashes a woman. There is no argument or use of force. Whatever happened, happened silently. So people around could not be alerted. So instead of indulging in a blame game, let the accused be arrested so the picture gets clear.”
“The incident took place at 6am and the victim complained to police at 9am. As soon as the complaint was received, the accused was identified and tracked through CCTV. We know he took a bus to flee,” Kadam added.
The opposition slammed the Maharashtra government over women’s safety.
Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said crimes against women had increased drastically in Maharashtra. He likened the case to the 2012 Delhi gang rape. “By giving Rs 1,500 a month, have you purchased women’s self-respect,” he Raut, referring to the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme.
Deputy CM Shinde said he had asked the Pune police chief to arrest Gade at the earliest. “We offer 50 per cent concession to women on MSRTC buses to ease their travel. But if such monsters commit crimes, they won’t be spared,” he said.
Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane said he would request for restarting the “encounter squad”. “It is better that they go (die). There will be criticism, but there is no other option,” he said.
In Mumbai, former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud recalled the 2012 Nirbhaya incident and said crimes against women cannot be prevented only by framing laws. Proper implementation of laws is required to prevent incidents of sexual harassment, he said, adding a lot of changes were made in laws following the Delhi incident.
He emphasised the need for “proper investigation, strong action, quick trial and punishment” and said the “legal system and the police have a big responsibility”.
PTI
