Pune police arrested Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, 37, on Friday after an extensive 72-hour search. Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Shirur, was accused of raping a woman inside a state-run bus at Pune’s Swargate depot.
The alleged assault occurred around 5:30 am on Tuesday when the victim, waiting to board a bus to Satara, was lured into an empty, air-conditioned Shivshahi bus by Gade. With the vehicle’s windows sealed shut, she was unable to seek immediate help.
Gade, who was out on bail at the time, had been hiding in Gunat with his family, including his wife, young son, brother, and parents. A joint operation by Pune city and Pune Rural police involved searching nearby sugarcane fields with drones and a dog squad before tracking him down in Shirur early Friday.
He is now in police custody and faces multiple charges related to the assault.
