Pune: Young Woman Raped in Shivshahi Bus at Swargate, Accused Identified

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Swargate, 26th February 2025: In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman traveling to Pargaon was raped inside a Shivshahi bus at the Swargate bus stand after being lured and threatened by the accused. The incident took place around 5:30 am on Tuesday.

Police have identified the suspect as Dattatray Ramdas Gade (35), a resident of Shikrapur, and have deployed eight police teams to track him down.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Smartana Patil, the victim arrived at Swargate bus stand early in the morning to board a bus to Phaltan. While she was waiting, the accused approached her and falsely claimed that the bus to Phaltan did not stop at the platform she was waiting on. When the woman insisted otherwise, he engaged her in conversation, assuring her that he had been frequenting the area for 10 years and that she should board a different Shivshahi bus parked on the opposite side.

Once inside the dimly lit bus, the accused asked her to open the door and step inside. As soon as she did, he followed her, shut the door, and raped her after threatening her. After the ordeal, the victim initially continued her journey to Phaltan but later decided to return halfway after talking to her friend and reported the incident to the Swargate police station.

Acting swiftly, the Swargate police reviewed CCTV footage, which helped confirm the accused’s identity. Further investigations revealed that two cases of robbery had already been registered against him in Pune Rural Police jurisdiction’s Shirur and Shikrapur.

Efforts are currently underway to apprehend the accused.