In a shocking revelation, police informed the court that Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused in the Pune bus rape case, addressed the 26-year-old survivor as ‘didi’ (sister) before luring her into an abandoned ‘Shiv Shahi’ bus at the Swargate depot, where he allegedly raped her.
According to a PTI report, the 37-year-old suspect has a history of criminal offenses, with at least six cases registered against him in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. CCTV footage from the bus terminus on the day of the crime reportedly captured his presence.
Authorities stated that they are yet to retrieve data from the mobile phone he was using. Notably, five out of the six cases against Gade involve complaints from women.
Following an extensive manhunt involving drones and sniffer dogs, police apprehended Gade in a paddy field in Shirur tehsil, Pune district, around midnight on Thursday. In a desperate bid to evade arrest, he allegedly attempted suicide by hanging himself from a dry tree, but the rope snapped, thwarting his effort.
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar confirmed that a preliminary medical report revealed ligature marks on Gade’s body, suggesting a suicide attempt. However, authorities await the final medical assessment.
The lawyer representing Dattatray Ramdas Gade: ‘She could have shouted’, Pune bus rape accused’s lawyer claims ‘nothing was done forcefully’
Despite deploying advanced tracking technologies, it was human intelligence that ultimately led to his capture. He was taken into custody and presented before the Pune Sessions Court under heavy security. The police sought a 14-day remand for further investigation, and the court has placed him in police custody until March 12.