The lawyer of the accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade, claimed that the relationship was consensual. Gade was arrested from a paddy field in Pune’s Shirur tehsil after an extensive search operation. The operation, conducted around midnight on Thursday, involved drones and sniffer dogs. Authorities launched the search following allegations of sexual assault inside a Shivshahi bus.
A court placed a 37-year-old man, Dattatray Ramdas Gade, accused of raping a woman inside an empty parked state transport bus at the Swargate depot in Pune, in police custody until March 12.
Gade was apprehended from a paddy field following a comprehensive search operation involving drones and sniffer dogs, conducted around midnight on Thursday in Shirur tehsil of Pune district.
He was formally arrested and brought before the Pune Sessions Court under heavy police protection.
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The police submitted a remand application, requesting Gade’s custody for 14 days. They informed the court that the accused had engaged the 26-year-old victim in conversation at the Swargate terminus on Tuesday morning, addressing her as ‘didi’ (sister) before taking her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ bus parked at the depot, where he allegedly raped her.
According to police, Gade, who has several criminal cases pending against him in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts, is clearly identifiable in the CCTV footage from the bus terminus on the day of the incident. They also noted that the data from the mobile phone he was using has yet to be recovered.
The police reported that out of the multiple cases filed against Gade, five involve complaints from women. In contrast, advocate Wajid Khan, representing the accused, argued that his client was undergoing a media trial and claimed that the complainant entered the bus voluntarily.
Khan stated in court,
“A physical relationship was established (between them) with mutual consent,”
After considering both sides, the court remanded Gade to police custody until March 12.
According to police reports, the incident took place on Tuesday around 5:45 AM when the victim was waiting for a bus to Phaltan at one of the platforms. The accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (36), approached her, claiming that the bus to Satara was at another platform.
He tricked her to an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus parked elsewhere, and despite her initial hesitation due to the lack of lights inside, he convinced her to enter. He then followed her inside and assaulted her before fleeing.
Authorities have assured the public that strict action will be taken in the case. Police officials emphasized their commitment to ensuring justice for the victim.