Pune bus rape: Sniffer dogs and drones deployed in manhunt for accused

Pune: Police have launched an extensive manhunt for Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the prime accused in the horrific rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus at Pune’s Swargate depot. Authorities have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh (Rs100,000) for any information leading to his arrest.

The man may be hiding in a field full of sugarcane plants near his hometown, police sources told NDTV Thursday afternoon.

Sources told NDTV that the police had deployed sniffer dogs and drones as part of an ongoing search operation within the vast tracts of sugarcane crop. Drones are required because each plant can grow up to 10 feet in height, making it difficult, if not impossible, for police teams to search the farmed area on foot.

• Who is Dattatraya Ramdas Gade?

• Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, 36, has half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching registered against him in Pune and adjoining Ahilyanagar district, news agency PTI quoted a Swargate police station official as saying.

• Gade was out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences, the police official said.

• In 2024, a theft case was lodged in Pune against Gade who was summoned to the police station, the official said.

• A Pune police team on Wednesday questioned a brother of the accused . Police are examining CCTV camera footage of the Swargate bus station and nearby areas, and seeking technical assistance for clues and to track down the accused, police said.

• What happened at Swargate bus station?

• In her police complaint, the woman said as she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in the adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5.45am, a man approached and engaged her in conversation, calling her `didi’ (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.

• The man took her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked elsewhere on the sprawling station premises.

• The woman, who works in the private medical field, told the police that as the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in at first, but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. He then followed her inside and raped her before fleeing.

• The accused also threatened the woman and asked her not to reveal the crime to anyone, the police said.

The rape occurred around 5:30am on Tuesday when the victim arrived at the bus stand to board a bus to her hometown in Satara district.

Gade, a known history-sheeter, allegedly misled the woman by directing her to another bus, falsely claiming it was headed for her destination. Once inside, he followed her, assaulted her, and then fled the scene.

13 special teams

To aid the manhunt, police have released a wanted poster featuring Gade’s photograph, offering a cash reward and assuring confidentiality to informants. Investigators have questioned his family members and girlfriend, but sources indicate he has been evading arrest by avoiding his known locations and not using a mobile phone.

Widespread outrage

The case has triggered widespread outrage, prompting swift action from Maharashtra authorities. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered a departmental inquiry against the Swargate depot’s station master and depot manager.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sought a detailed investigation report from Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP), emphasizing the need for accountability and justice.