Pune: Swargate Rape Accused Dattatraya Gade’s Political Ties Under Scrutiny
Shirur, 27th February 2025: Political Connections of Swargate Rape accused Dattatraya Gade have come under scrutiny as photos of him with local political leaders from Shirur have surfaced. Gade, a resident of Shirur, appears in images with both current and former MLAs from both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar.
Dnyaneshwar Katke, the current MLA from Shirur representing Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, has denied any association with Gade. Katke stated, “The accused lives in Shirur taluka, which is my constituency. Many people come and take photos with me, but I have no connection with him. I don’t know Dattatraya Gade personally.”
Gade’s photo appears on a birthday banner of former MLA Ashok Pawar, who belongs to Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction. Ashok Pawar has called for a thorough investigation into Gade’s connections, stating, “The police should investigate who he was helping during the Ujjain pilgrimage and which women he was accompanying. His interests and associations should be immediately uncovered.”
The 36-year-old Gade is accused of raping a 26-year-old woman inside a Shivshahi bus at Pune’s Swargate bus depot. He has been identified as a habitual offender with multiple criminal cases against him.
Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has announced that the police will investigate these alleged political connections as part of their ongoing probe into the rape case.
