Pune Rape Accused Dattatraya Gade Captured After Three-Day Search
After an exhaustive 72-hour manhunt involving drone surveillance and canine units, Pune authorities have apprehended 37-year-old Dattatraya Gade, the primary suspect in a sexual assault that occurred at the bustling Swargate transportation hub.
The breakthrough came early Friday morning when joint teams from Pune City and Rural Police divisions closed in on Gade in his native Gunat village in Shirur, where he had been living with family members while out on bail for previous offenses.
According to investigators, the assault took place during predawn hours on Tuesday. The victim, waiting for transportation to Satara, was allegedly deceived by Gade into entering an unoccupied air-conditioned Shivshahi coach belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation fleet. The sealed windows of the vehicle tragically prevented the woman from alerting anyone nearby during the attack.
Law enforcement officials noted this wasn’t Gade’s first encounter with the justice system. His criminal record includes six prior cases spanning Pune and Ahmednagar jurisdictions, primarily involving robbery and mobile device theft.
In 2020, preventative legal measures were implemented against him under Criminal Procedure Code provisions targeting repeat offenders.
The arrest concludes an intensive search operation that had police combing through agricultural lands surrounding Gunat village and employing advanced tracking techniques before finally locating the suspect who had evaded capture since committing the alleged crime.
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How the Police Arrested Dattatray Gade
The investigation reached a critical juncture when Dattatraya Gade made an unplanned visit to a relative’s residence Thursday evening at approximately 22:30 hours.
Family members, upon recognizing his presence, promptly alerted authorities. Before departing the location, Gade reportedly acknowledged his culpability, stating, “I have made a big mistake, and I have to surrender,” while collecting a water container.
Responding officers discovered discarded clothing at the residence, which provided essential olfactory evidence for the canine tracking units. The trained dogs successfully traced the suspect’s movement patterns through agricultural terrain, leading investigators to a waterway where Gade had attempted to conceal himself among sugarcane fields adjacent to an irrigation canal.
The pursuit culminated when local residents identified the suspect in the waterway and notified authorities of his exact position. Law enforcement personnel swiftly took Gade into custody and transported him directly to Pune, where the Special Investigation Team at Swargate Police Station formally processed his arrest.
Notably, Dattatraya Gade was apprehended after a 75-hour manhunt that deployed thirteen specialized police teams comprising over 100 personnel throughout Pune district and surrounding jurisdictions.
Authorities note that Gade has an extensive criminal history, with six prior cases documented across Pune and Ahmednagar jurisdictions, predominantly involving robbery and property theft offenses.