GUWAHATI: The crime branch arrested Dattatray Gade, the prime suspect in the Swargate bus depot rape case, on Friday, February 28 from a village in Shirur Tehsil, Pune. Gade had been on the run since the incident occurred on Tuesday.
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The victim, who was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan about 100 km away was allegedly misled by the accused. Gade reportedly approached her, falsely claiming that her bus was parked elsewhere, and led her to an MSRTC Shivshahi bus at the depot, where he allegedly raped her.
Gade has a history of criminal offenses, with six prior cases related to theft, robbery, and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district. He was previously released on bail in 2019 for one of these crimes.
Authorities launched an extensive manhunt, deploying 13 police teams across various locations in Maharashtra and announcing a ₹1 lakh reward for information on Gade’s whereabouts. On Thursday, police intensified their search in Shirur Tehsil, using drones and sniffer dogs to comb through sugarcane fields before successfully apprehending him.
In response to the incident, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered a departmental inquiry against the assistant traffic superintendent and the Swargate depot manager. He also convened a high-level meeting at Mantralaya with officials from the state transport department and MSRTC to review and strengthen security at bus depots.
Following Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's directives, 23 security guards at the Swargate depot were suspended and replaced with new personnel. Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar also instructed the Pune police commissioner to oversee the case personally and ensure the suspect’s swift arrest.
