Pune bus rape case: This is how the police captured the suspect, after a 75-hour long manhunt

The Pune Police located a 37-year-old suspect in a rape case involving a woman on a bus. He was found because he asked for food and water at a house in his village. The man had been fleeing after allegedly committing the crime at the Swargate bus station in Pune.

After a relentless 75-hour search, police apprehended Dattatray Gade, the man accused of raping a 26-year-old woman aboard a bus in Pune earlier this week late Thursday night following a tip-off from his relatives.

When did the hunt begin?

The manhunt began after the victim reported the assault, prompting authorities to deploy drones and 13 police teams, totalling over 100 personnel, across the Pune district and surrounding areas.

A breakthrough occurred when Gade was spotted arriving at a relative's home at approximately 10:30 PM. Upon learning of his presence, family members promptly notified the police.

Before his departure, Gade took a bottle of water and reportedly confessed to his family, “I have made a big mistake, and I have to surrender.” The police discovered a shirt he had changed out of, which they used to provide scent samples for their dog squad. Tracking his escape route, the dogs led officers to a sugarcane field near a canal where Gade had been hiding.

Villagers ultimately located Gade in the canal, and police swiftly took him into custody. He was then transported to Pune, where the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Swargate Police Station formally arrested him.

The incident

The assault occurred on Tuesday morning at the Swargate bus station. The victim, a medical professional, was waiting for a bus to Phaltan when Gade approached her, falsely identifying himself as a police officer. He misled her into believing her bus was at another platform and lured her into an empty Shiv Shahi AC bus, where he assaulted her.

The incident has ignited widespread outrage across Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde vowed to pursue the harshest penalties for Gade, including the possibility of capital punishment. In light of the crime, Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane proposed the revival of police "encounter squads" to address repeat offenders. The Pune police had previously announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information leading to Gade's arrest.

Steps taken by Maharashtra govt

In response to the public outcry, Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has initiated a security audit of all state bus depots and ordered the removal of unauthorized vehicles by April 15. He also called for increased female security personnel at bus stands and proposed appointing an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to oversee security for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

Additionally, Sarnaik has launched a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager at Swargate, holding them accountable for security lapses that allowed this incident to occur.