The accused, 36-year-old Dattatraya Ramdas, has been identified through CCTV footage but remains at large. The police have set up eight special teams and deployed a canine sniffer unit to find him. As per the reports, Ramdas has a history of theft and chain-snatching cases and was out on bail since 2019.
He allegedly approached the woman, a domestic worker travelling to her home village in Satara district and misled her into entering the bus. The accused then locked the door and raped her on Tuesday between 5.45 and 6.30 am.
She then boarded another bus, on which her friend was travelling. The woman informed her friend that she had been raped. The friend quickly advised the woman to contact the police.
According to the police, the bus in which the incident took place has been vandalised. The police stated that they filed a complaint and retrieved the CCTV footage, getting their probe underway.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Smarthana Patil said, “A working woman was waiting for the bus to go back to her home… A man came and said that the bus to your place had been parked somewhere else and took the woman near the parked bus…Then, the man raped her.”
“A complaint has been registered…We have identified the accused, and we are making all the efforts to nab him. The accused is identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade. The victim is stable right now…,” she added.
Rupali Chakankar, Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, condemned the crime and warned women to be cautious when interacting with strangers.
“I urge young girls and women to be cautious in public spaces and not trust strangers blindly. They should seek assistance from the authorities and prioritise their safety. Society has dangerous elements, and their numbers are increasing by the day. We must remain vigilant,” Chakankar added.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with several political leaders condemning and demanding swift action. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar called it “extremely unfortunate, distressing, infuriating”, adding, “The crime committed by the accused in this case is unforgivable, and there can be no punishment other than hanging. I have personally instructed the Pune Police Commissioner to take a hands-on approach in investigating this matter and to arrest the accused immediately.”
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also taken this crime seriously and has given necessary instructions to the police. The accused will be arrested at the earliest by the police, and to ensure that he receives the harshest punishment under the law, the state government will take all steps, this assurance I give to all my brothers, sisters, and mothers of Maharashtra,” he wrote on X.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Feb 27, 2025 12:52 PM IST
