‘Only death’: Ajit Pawar calls for strictest punishment in Pune bus rape case

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday strongly condemned the rape of a woman in an MSRTC bus in Swargate, Pune and called for the death penalty to be awarded to the accused in the case.

The NCP leader wrote in a post on X, “The incident of the rape of one of our sisters at Swargate bus station in Pune is extremely unfortunate, painful, infuriating and shameful to all in civilized society. The crime committed by the accused in this crime is unforgivable and there can be no other punishment for him than death.”

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Pawar also stated that he had personally instructed the Pune police commissioner to investigate the matter and arrest the accused, identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade, immediately. The accused is currently on the run.

The deputy chief minister stated that CM Devendra Fadnavis was taking the crime seriously and outlined the actions being taken to bring justice to the victim.

Also Read: Pune: Rape inside bus sparks stir; protesters, Sena-UBT leader vandalise bus stop

“I assure all my brothers, sisters and mothers in Maharashtra that the state government will take all steps to ensure that the accused is arrested by the police as soon as possible and he is punished as severely as possible according to the law,” said Pawar.

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He stated that the minister of women and child development, Aditi Tatkare, and the chairperson of the state women's commission, Rupali Chakankar, had been instructed to offer psychological support, justice and any assistance required to the victim and her sister as well.

Pune rape case protests

A 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a Shiv Shahi AC bus run by the Maharastra State Regional Transport Corporation, which was waiting early in the morning on Tuesday at the Swargate bus stop.

The man allegedly approached the woman and convinced her that her bus to Phaltan in Satara was parked near another platform on the premises. He then took her to an empty bus and raped her before fleeing.

Several opposition leaders have asked CM Devendra Fadnavis to answer for the rising crime in the state and slammed the government for the rape which took place in a bus stationed at a crowded bus stop.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vasant More and other protestors had raised slogans against the Maharashtra government and vandalised the security office at the Swargate bus stop, claiming that the government had lapsed in ensuring women's safety and maintaining law and order in the state.