Pune Police Intensify Investigation In Swargate Rape Case; Track Accused’s Movements Before Arrest
Pune, 8th March 2025: The Pune police have arrested Dattatray Gade, the accused in the Swargate rape case, after tracking him down to Gunat village in Shirur taluka. Gade had been on the run for three days, hiding in a sugarcane field before the police finally apprehended him.
Gade was wanted for allegedly raping a young female passenger at the Swargate ST bus depot on February 25. Posing as a bus conductor, he lured the victim inside an ST bus, locked the doors, and assaulted her twice while threatening to kill her. After committing the crime, he fled the city.
A special police team, consisting of six officers and 30 personnel, was dispatched to Gunat village following intelligence inputs. Investigations revealed that Gade had discarded his mobile phone in the sugarcane field to avoid detection. Despite extensive searches, the police have yet to recover the device.
During his time in hiding, Gade reportedly took shelter in an abandoned house on a farm and received food and water from locals. Police have recorded statements from seven individuals to determine whether anyone knowingly assisted him in evading arrest.
The police arrested Gade from the village and presented him before the court, which has remanded him to custody until 12th March. Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has assigned the case to the Anti-Extortion Cell, with Senior Inspector Shailesh Sankhe leading the investigation.
Efforts are ongoing to gather further evidence, including the recovery of the missing mobile phone, as the police build their case against the accused.
