Pune police apprehended the accused in a rape case at Swargate bus stand within 70 hours. Thirteen police teams were formed to capture the repeat offender, Dattatray Ramdas Gade.
Pune: Police in Pune, Maharashtra, arrested the accused in a rape case at the Swargate bus stand within 70 hours. Thirteen police teams were deployed to apprehend Dattatray Ramdas Gade, a known repeat offender. He was apprehended in a sugarcane field in Gunat village, Shirur tehsil, Pune, with the assistance of sniffer dogs and drones.
Clues from CCTV Footage
CCTV footage from Swargate bus stand helped identify the accused. The footage showed the accused leading a woman to a deserted area near a roadside bus. Based on this, police launched an investigation and a special operation to arrest the accused. Police sources revealed that on February 25th, the accused raped a 26-year-old woman on a state transport bus at Swargate, Pune's busiest bus stand.
After the incident, he hid in a vegetable truck and reached his village, Gunat. There, he changed his clothes and shoes before attempting to evade capture. Police suspected he might be hiding in the nearby sugarcane fields.
Drone and Sniffer Dog Search Operation
On Thursday afternoon, police conducted a large-scale search operation in Gunat village. Over 100 police personnel, aided by drones and sniffer dogs, located the accused hiding in a sugarcane field, resulting in his arrest. Police had announced a reward of one lakh rupees for information leading to his arrest. Interrogation revealed that the accused had a history of harassing women and engaging in chain snatching.
Crime through Deception
According to the victim, she was waiting for a bus to Phaltan when Gade lured her into a trap. He attempted to gain her trust by calling her "Didi" (sister) and claimed that the Satara bus was parked elsewhere. Through this deception, he took her to an empty AC bus and raped her. Police investigations revealed that the accused had a history of harassing women. A close female acquaintance is also being questioned.
