Dattatray Gade, accused of raping a 26-year-old woman on a bus in Pune, was arrested after a 75-hour manhunt. Using drones and police teams, the search ended when his relatives alerted authorities upon his return. Gade, a repeat offender with a history of robbery and extortion, lured the victim by impersonating a police officer. The incident led to outrage and calls for harsher penalties, including capital punishment. Maharashtra officials are now auditing bus depot security and addressing lapses in safety measures. This case has reignited discussions on India’s rape laws, recalling the infamous “Nirbhaya” incident.
New Delhi:
A change of clothing was sufficient for the canine unit to detect the scent and pinpoint the whereabouts of the individual charged with raping a woman aboard a bus in Pune on Tuesday. The hunt for Dattatray Gade, the man accused of assaulting the 26-year-old victim, concluded with his arrest following a 75-hour manhunt late last night.
The police initiated an extensive search for Gade, utilizing drones and deploying 13 police teams consisting of over 100 personnel throughout Pune district and surrounding areas. A significant lead emerged when he showed up at a relative’s residence at 10:30 pm on Thursday, prompting his relatives to inform the police.
Prior to his departure, Gade grabbed a bottle of water and allegedly confessed to his family, “I have made a huge mistake and need to surrender.”
The police found a shirt he had changed out of, which they used to give the dog squad a sample of Gade’s scent. The dogs guided the officers along his escape route. Gade was hiding in a sugarcane field adjacent to a canal near his relatives’ home.
Ultimately, it was local villagers who located Gade in the canal. Once recognized, the police promptly took him into custody. He was then transported directly to Pune, where the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Swargate Police Station officially arrested him.
A Serial Offender
Gade, a 37-year-old resident of Shirur in Pune district, has an extensive criminal record. There are six registered cases against him at various police stations, including those in Shirur and Shikarpur in the Ahilyanagar district.
His history includes extortion, theft, and robbery. In 2019, he secured a loan to purchase a vehicle, which he operated as an informal taxi on the Pune-Ahilyanagar route. He gained notoriety for preying on elderly women, often luring them into accepting rides in his vehicle. Once they were inside, he would take them to a remote area, threaten them with a weapon, rob them of their valuables, and abandon them.
His criminal activities can be traced back to at least 2019, when he began using a loan for a vehicle as an unlicensed taxi driver on the Pune-Ahilyanagar route. During this time, he would entice elderly women into his car under the pretense of kindness before robbing them. His previous arrest led to the recovery of about 140 grams (12 tola) of stolen gold.
In 2020, Gade was convicted of robbery in the Karde Ghat region near Shirur and served a prison term of five to six months. However, after his release, numerous other cases against him remained unsolved. These include two cases in Shikarpur, and one each in Supa, Kedgaon, and Kotwali police stations within the Ahilyanagar district. Despite his substantial record, Gade has been out on bail since 2019.
In addition to his criminal endeavors, Gade was politically active. He worked for a well-known political figure during recent assembly elections, and multiple photographs of him with this leader went viral on social media. He also ran for a position in the Sangharsh-Mukti Samiti of Gunat village but was not elected.
The Crime
Gade often loitered at the Swargate bus depot, where he frequently posed as a police officer. CCTV footage confirmed that he was dressed in formal attire, including a shirt, trousers, and shoes, on the day of the incident.
According to police sources, he even presented himself as a law enforcement officer to the rape survivor, using a fictitious name during their interaction.
The 26-year-old victim, a working professional in the medical sector, was waiting for a bus to Phaltan in Satara district at the Swargate bus station around 5:45 am on Tuesday. Gade approached her, referring to her as “didi” (sister) and falsely claimed that her bus was located at a different platform.
He then led her to an unoccupied Shiv Shahi AC bus, persuading her that it was the correct one. As she hesitated to enter the dimly lit vehicle, he reassured her, only to follow her inside and commit the assault.
The Aftermath
The incident ignited widespread outrage throughout Maharashtra. On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the government would advocate for the harshest possible punishment for Gade, including the death penalty. Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane even proposed the re-establishment of police “encounter squads” for handling repeat offenders. Earlier, the Pune police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to Gade’s capture.
The case has also reignited discussions regarding rape laws in India. Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud referenced the infamous “Nirbhaya” case in Delhi—the horrific gang-rape and murder of a woman on a bus in Delhi in 2012, which sparked nationwide protests.
“Although many changes were made to the laws following the ‘Nirbhaya’ incident, we cannot prevent such occurrences solely through legislation,” the former chief justice remarked yesterday.
Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered a security review of all bus depots across the state. He also mandated that all unauthorized buses and vehicles confiscated by transport authorities be removed from depots by April 15.
Mr. Sarnaik called for the increased deployment of female security personnel at bus stations, highlighting the rising number of women travelers. Additionally, he suggested appointing an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to fill the vacant Chief Security and Vigilance Officer position for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
In light of public dissatisfaction, Mr. Sarnaik initiated a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager at Swargate, holding them responsible for the security failures that led to this incident.