Pune rape case updates: Accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade sent to 12-day police custody

The police submitted a remand application to the court and sought Gade's custody for 14 days, PTI reported. They told the court the accused engaged the 26-year-old victim in conversation at the Swargate terminus on Tuesday morning, calling her 'didi' (sister) and took her to an empty 'Shiv Shahi' bus parked in the depot premises and raped her.

Defence lawyer in the Pune bus rape said that nothing was done by the accused forcefully.

“He (Dattatray Ramdas Gade) has been sent to 12-day police custody. The earlier cases on him were of robbery, not rape. The Investigating Officer said that he is a habitual offender but he was not convicted in any of the previous cases. It was 5.45 am the morning (the time of the alleged incident); she could have shouted and sought help. Nothing was done forcefully,” Advocate Wajid Khan told ANI.

Shakti bill, which has provisions for strict punishment for crimes against women, was introduced and passed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government four years ago and is still pending approval from the Central government, PTI reported.

Earlier today, former state home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh said the Shakti bill should be implemented in the state.

The accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade was absconding since the incident happened on Tuesday, when the rape survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, which is located around 100 km away, ANI reported.

Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the 37-year-old man accused of raping a woman inside a bus in Pune's Swargate bus station, was arrested on Friday morning after a massive manhunt. The police said Gade's request for food and water from a house led to his arrest. READ FULL STORY

The Congress and NCP (SP) on Friday raised concerns over the rape of a woman inside a bus in Pune and demanded that the Maharashtra government implement the Shakti bill, which has provisions for the death penalty for atrocities against children and women, reported PTI.

BJP MP Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad on Friday condemned the recent rape incident in Pune and expressed confidence that strict action would be taken under the leadership of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking to ANI, BJP MP Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad said, "This is a very condemnable incident...13 different teams were formed with the help of the Maharashtra administration and Home Ministry to catch the accused."

Pune rape case updates: Providing details of accused Dattatray Gade's arrest on Friday, Pune CP Amitesh Kumar said that people of Gunat village, where the accused was arrested from, helped the police. "The accused was detained from Gunat village last night around 1:10 AM... People from the Gunat village helped us nab the accused... After completing the formalities, he was arrested, and he will be produced before the Court today. A special counsel will be appointed, and we will try to fast-track the case... We believe that we will succeed in preventing such cases in the future, and we are working in this regard. I thank the people of Gunat on behalf of Pune police. I will visit the village to honour the villagers who helped us," he said.

Pune rape case updates: BJP MP Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad reacted to the Pune rape case called it a “condemnable incident”. "13 different teams were formed with the help of Maharashtra administration and Home Ministry to catch the accused...The accused has been arrested...I am sure that stringent action will be taken against the culprit. Under the leadership of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, efforts are being made to give the harshest punishment to every culprit," he told ANI.

Pune rape case updates: Pune Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma and DCP Smarta Patil, Zone 2, Pune City Police, arrived at the Cantonment Police Station, where accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade is being held after his arrest.

According to an official, police deployed drones and sniffer dogs to locate Gade, who was hiding in a paddy field in his native Shirur tehsil. He was apprehended around midnight.

Pune rape case updates: Dattatray Gade was arrested around 1:30 am on Friday from his native village, Gunat, in Shirur, Pune district.

Patil stated that Gade was taken into custody in his village and later brought to Pune. He is set to be presented in court on Friday for further legal proceedings. Gade, a known history-sheeter, has multiple criminal cases registered against him.

Pune rape case updates: After Pune Police arrested accused Dattatray Gade on Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey criticised the government, saying, “The Pune incident has shaken all of Maharashtra... Despite living in modern times, such barbaric acts continue. The government and those responsible for law and order must be held accountable. Maharashtra has always been known for its law and order... The rising crime rate in Pune is extremely concerning... After 48 hours, the government is patting itself on the back for catching the accused… but what is the guarantee that he acted alone? There could be a larger gang behind this... Locals claim that buses remain parked there, and such incidents happen frequently—this case came to light, but many others might not have. The government must dismantle this entire network. We demand Devendra Fadnavis ensure the guilty are hanged and that a thorough investigation is conducted... The law and order situation across Maharashtra is deteriorating.”

Reacting to the rape case in Pune, former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that such incidents can't be prevented with just laws. “A lot of changes were made in the laws following the 'Nirbhaya' incident, however, we can not prevent such incident by only having laws. There is a great responsibility on the society and apart from this the implementation of laws should be there. Laws made for women should be implemented properly. Women should feel safe wherever they go. It is important that in such cases, there should be proper investigation, strong action, quick trial and punishment. The legal system and the police have a big responsibility,” he told news agency PTI.

Pune rape case updates: Three days before the rape incident at Swargate ST stand, the depot manager had alerted the police about passenger harassment within the premises. However, no action was taken, claimed NCP (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, who shared a copy of the February 22 letter on social media.

The letter, sent to the senior inspector of Swargate police station, expressed concerns about private tour operators and transgenders allegedly troubling passengers and urged police intervention.

The incident has triggered widespread protests in Pune, with increasing criticism of the government’s failure to ensure security at public transport hubs.

Pune rape case updates: Pune Police brought Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused in the rape of a 26-year-old woman at Swargate bus station, to Shirur police station on Friday morning. Visuals shared by news agency ANI, citing Pune Police, show him being escorted under high security with handcuffs.

Pune rape case updates: DCP Smarthana Patil, Zone 2, Pune City Police, stated on Friday morning that accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade was formally arrested hours after being detained in Shirur Tehsil, as reported by news agency PTI.

The 37-year-old history-sheeter allegedly raped the woman inside an ST bus early Tuesday morning.

Gade has been named in multiple cases of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He has been out on bail since 2019 in one of these offences.

Pune rape case updates: Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused, was detained by a Pune Crime Branch team from a village in Shirur Tehsil, Pune district. He has now been brought to a police station.

Gade had been on the run since Tuesday, when the incident occurred. The survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, about 100 km away.

He allegedly approached her, falsely claiming that her bus was parked elsewhere. He then led her to an MSRTC Shivshahi bus within the depot, where he allegedly committed the crime.

Pune rape case updates: Maharashtra minister Sanjay Shirsat made an unannounced visit to the bus station in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Thursday and noted the absence of police personnel.

Shirsat, who also serves as the guardian minister of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, said his visit was prompted by the recent Pune incident where a history-sheeter raped a 26-year-old woman inside an MSRTC bus at Swargate bus station.

“It is my duty to check the situation in my city. I found that there were no policemen here. They don’t even have any space to sit. This is a chowki and at least two cops should be deployed here,” he said.

The Shiv Sena leader added that he would discuss the issue with the city’s police commissioner.

Pune rape case updates: Leaders and workers of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP held a protest on Thursday at Pune’s Swargate bus depot, condemning the rape incident and demanding stringent action against the accused.

The demonstrators called for capital punishment for the accused and emphasised the need for improved women's safety.

Pune rape case updates: Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, a history-sheeter out on bail since 2019, allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at Pune’s busy Swargate bus station on Tuesday morning.

According to a Swargate police station official, as quoted by news agency PTI, Gade, 36, has been involved in multiple criminal cases, including theft, robbery, and chain-snatching, in Pune and the neighbouring Ahilyanagar district.

He had been out on bail since 2019 in connection with one of these offences, the official added.

In 2024, a theft case was registered against Gade in Pune, and the police summoned him for questioning.

On Wednesday, a Pune police team interrogated Gade’s brother as part of the investigation. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from Swargate bus station and surrounding areas while also using technical support to gather clues and track down the accused.

Pune rape case updates: Pune Police on Thursday deployed drones and sniffer dogs in Shirur taluka of Pune district to track down the accused in the Swargate bus rape case, officials said. However, he was detained in Shirur Tehsil on Friday.

At least 13 teams of Pune city police were engaged in the search for Gade, a resident of Gunat village, an official said.

In coordination with Pune Rural police, a search operation was carried out in the sugarcane fields of Gunat village, as authorities suspected that Gade was hiding there.

Several senior police officials, along with more than 100 personnel, reached Gunat village in the afternoon. Drones were used for aerial surveillance of the fields to locate the accused.

A dog squad was also brought in to assist with the search operation.

Pune police had announced a ₹1 lakh reward for any credible information leading to Gade’s arrest.

Pune Rural police conducted searches in the Shirur area and took all necessary measures for the operation.

In Pune city, police interrogated multiple individuals, including Gade’s friends, relatives, and acquaintances, as part of the investigation.

Pune rape case updates: According to the victim, as quoted by news agency PTI, she was waiting for a bus to Phaltan in Satara district at one of the platforms around 5:45 am on Tuesday when Gade approached her and addressed her as ‘didi’ (sister). He told her that the bus to Satara had arrived at another platform.

He then led her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked elsewhere on the premises. As the bus was unlit, she was hesitant to board, but Gade assured her that it was the correct vehicle. Once inside, he followed her and sexually assaulted her, the woman, who works in the medical field, later told the police.

Swargate in Pune is one of the largest bus depots operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

Pune rape case updates: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said that the government would push for capital punishment for the accused, while Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane suggested reviving the “encounter squad.”

The accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), has a history of criminal offences, including theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district. He had been out on bail since 2019 in one of the cases.

As Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, evaded arrest for over two days, officials had deployed 13 police teams to track him down before detaining him on the night between Thursday and Friday.

Pune rape case updates: Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered an immediate security audit of all bus stands and depots across the state, following the rape of a woman at the Swargate depot in Pune.

According to a release issued on Thursday, the minister also directed the removal of all registered buses parked at depots and bus stationsand vehicles seized by transport offices by April 15.

Noting the increasing number of female passengers, Sarnaik stressed the need to deploy more women security guards at bus stations.