Swargate bus rape case: Pune police announce ₹1 lakh reward to nab accused

Maharashtra: Two days after an intense investigation to apprehend the accused in the Swargate bus rape case, Pune police have announced a ₹1 lakh reward for any leads.

A man with a history of criminal offences, who had been out on bail since 2019, allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at Pune's Swargate bus station, police reported on Wednesday.

The incident, which occurred in the heart of the city, sparked outrage and led to a protest by the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT). In response, the police formed multiple teams to trace the accused, identified as Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (36).

Criticism mounted against the Home Department, overseen by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, as opposition parties held it responsible for the crime that took place early on Tuesday. In response, the government decided to replace all private security guards stationed at the bus terminal.

Additionally, the transport ministry has initiated a departmental inquiry into the matter. Gade has multiple criminal cases, including theft, robbery, and chain-snatching, registered against him in Pune and Ahilyanagar district. According to a Swargate police station official, he was granted bail in one such case in 2019.

Swargate bus station, one of the largest depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), became the scene of the crime. As reported by PTI, the woman, who works in the private medical sector, was waiting for a bus to Phaltan in Satara district around 5.45 am when the accused approached her, calling her 'didi' (sister) and misleading her about the arrival of her bus at a different platform.

He led her to an unoccupied ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked within the station premises. Hesitant to board as the lights were off, she was persuaded by the man, who then followed her inside and assaulted her before fleeing, police said.

The accused allegedly threatened the victim, warning her against reporting the crime. According to an MSRTC report, the bus involved had arrived from Solapur at Swargate at 3.40 am and was parked in front of a sugarcane juice shop within the terminal.

The report further states that Gade impersonated a bus conductor to lure the woman inside. Authorities at the bus station became aware of the incident only at 10 am, four hours after the assault.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil confirmed that CCTV footage captured the woman walking towards the bus with the accused. Despite the presence of several people and vehicles at the time, the crime took place unnoticed. The woman, initially reluctant to report the assault, boarded another bus heading to her hometown. She later recounted the incident to a friend over the phone, who advised her to get off within city limits and file a complaint, Patil added.

Investigations revealed that Gade had prior cases registered in Pune’s Shikrapur and Shirur police station limits, as well as in Ahilyanagar district. Police have mobilised eight teams to apprehend him. An official disclosed that Gade had been summoned in connection with a 2024 theft case in Pune.

A Pune police team questioned the accused’s brother on Wednesday as part of their investigation. Authorities are also analysing CCTV footage from the Swargate bus station and surrounding areas while leveraging technical resources to track him down. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has instructed the Pune police commissioner to expedite the investigation and ensure the accused is arrested without delay.

In his statement, Pawar, who also serves as Pune district’s guardian minister, remarked, “The incident of rape at the Swargate bus station is extremely unfortunate, painful, infuriating and shameful to all in civilized society.

The crime committed by the accused is unforgivable, and there can be no other punishment for him than death. I have directed the Pune police commissioner to personally look into this matter and investigate it and arrest the accused immediately.”

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of the case and called for swift action. NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the Director General of Police, requesting an action-taken report within three days, including a copy of the FIR, an official confirmed.

State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered the removal of all 23 private security guards stationed at Swargate and instructed MSRTC managing director Vivek Bhimanwar to conduct a departmental inquiry and submit a report within seven days, an official statement said.

As public anger mounted, Shiv Sena (UBT) workers staged a protest at the Swargate bus station, vandalising the security office on the premises. NCP (SP) leader and Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government, highlighting that the crime took place despite the presence of a police post nearby.

“There is a police post nearby, and still such an assault takes place which shows that anti-social elements do not have any fear of law,” she remarked, holding the Home Department accountable for the rising crime rates in Pune. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal also expressed concern, claiming that incidents of rape were increasing in the state.