The Pune Crime Branch has detained Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused in the Pune rape incident at the Swargate bus depot, following his arrest in a village in Shirur Tehsil, Pune district. Gade had been absconding since the attack, which took place on Tuesday, when the 26-year-old working woman was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, about 100 km away.
The accused allegedly approached the victim, claiming that the bus to her destination was parked elsewhere. He then led her to a MSRTC Shivsahi bus parked at the depot, where he reportedly raped her.
In response to the incident, State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered an immediate security audit of all bus stands and depots across Maharashtra. The minister also instructed that all registered buses parked at bus stations and depots, along with vehicles seized by transport offices, be removed by April 15. Recognizing the increasing number of female passengers, Sarnaik emphasized the need to bolster security by increasing the number of female security guards at bus stations.
Additionally, Minister Sarnaik directed the removal of unregistered buses from bus stand areas, with the process to be completed by April 15. He also called for the appointment of an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to fill the vacant position of Chief Security and Vigilance Officer in the State Transport Corporation.
Meanwhile, leaders and workers of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP staged a protest on Thursday against the rape incident, demanding strict action against the accused. The protesters called for capital punishment for Gade and the implementation of stronger safety measures for women.
In a related development, Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Sarnaik ordered a departmental inquiry into the actions of the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager at the Swargate Bus Depot, where the February 25 rape incident occurred.