Pune Swargate Bus Stand Rape Update: Here’s Everything You Need to Know about Dattatraya Ramdas Gade
A 26-year-old woman was raped inside a stationary MSRTC bus at Pune’s Swargate Bus Stand, just 100 meters from a police station. Accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, a history sheeter out on bail, remains at large as police form special teams to track him down and political tensions rise in Maharashtra.
In a shocking incident that has sparked outrage across Maharashtra, a 26-year-old woman was sexually assaulted inside a stationary bus at Pune’s busy Swargate Bus Stand early Tuesday morning. The crime occurred merely 100 meters from a police station, raising serious questions about security at one of Maharashtra’s largest transport hubs.
The Incident
According to police reports, the assault took place between 5:45 AM and 6:30 AM on Tuesday at the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus depot. The victim, a domestic worker in the private medical field, was waiting to board a bus to her home village of Phaltan in Satara district when the accused approached her.
CCTV footage retrieved by investigators shows the accused, identified as 36-year-old Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, engaging the woman in conversation, addressing her as ‘didi’ (sister). He reportedly misled her by claiming that a bus for her destination had arrived at another platform.
The woman’s police complaint states that Gade led her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus that had arrived from Solapur the previous day and had been parked near a sugarcane juice shop since approximately 3:40 AM. When the woman hesitated to enter the dark vehicle, Gade allegedly assured her that other passengers were sleeping inside, which explained why the lights were off.
Once inside the bus, Gade reportedly locked the door and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene. He also threatened the woman to remain silent about the attack.
The Aftermath
Rather than immediately reporting the crime, the traumatized woman boarded another bus headed to her hometown. During the journey, she called a friend and disclosed the assault, who urged her to file a police report.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil confirmed that CCTV footage shows the woman walking toward the bus with the accused. DCP Patil noted that despite the early hour, there were “many people and several buses on the station premises when the incident took place.”
In a disturbing development, the bus in which the assault occurred has since been vandalized, according to police reports. The MSRTC administration reportedly only learned about the incident around 10 AM, approximately four hours after the crime took place.
Dattatraya Ramdas Gade: A Criminal History
The accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, is no stranger to law enforcement. At 36 years old, Gade has established himself as a known criminal in the Pune region with a pattern of escalating offenses that now culminates in this horrific sexual assault.
Police records reveal that Gade has accumulated at least half a dozen cases across Pune and neighboring Ahilyanagar district. His criminal portfolio includes multiple charges of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching, indicating a progression from property crimes to increasingly violent offenses.
Authorities describe him as a “history-sheeter,” a term used to denote habitual offenders with multiple criminal cases registered against them.
Most concerning is the fact that Gade has been out on bail since 2019 for one of his previous offenses, raising questions about the monitoring of released offenders with violent tendencies. The judicial system’s handling of his prior cases will likely face scrutiny as this investigation unfolds.
More recently, in 2024, Gade was implicated in another theft case in Pune. Police had summoned him to the station regarding this matter, but it appears he remained free to commit this latest, most severe crime.
Investigators are exploring whether Gade has been involved in other unreported sexual assaults or attempted assaults, given that predators often escalate their criminal behavior over time. His method of approaching the victim at a bus stand, posing as a helpful guide, and specifically targeting a woman traveling alone suggests a potentially premeditated approach that may have been used before.
Local residents report that Gade was known to frequent the Swargate Bus Stand area, possibly surveying the location and its security vulnerabilities. Police are interviewing other transporters and vendors at the bus stand to determine whether Gade has been observed exhibiting suspicious behavior toward other female travelers in the past.
His ability to identify and isolate a vulnerable victim, coupled with his familiarity with the bus stand layout and operations—evidenced by his knowledge of where empty buses were parked—indicates a level of planning that has alarmed investigators.
The Hunt for Dattatraya Ramdas Gade
Police have formed eight special teams and deployed canine units to track down Gade, who remains at large. The manhunt has extended beyond Pune to neighboring districts where Gade has known connections.
On Wednesday, police questioned Gade’s brother while examining CCTV footage from the bus station and surrounding areas. Technical assistance has been sought to help locate the fugitive, including cell phone tracking and monitoring of locations where he has previously been known to hide.
Authorities have released Gade’s photograph to the public, urging citizens to come forward with any information about his whereabouts. Police checkpoints have been established at key transportation hubs throughout the region to prevent the accused from fleeing to other states.
A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Gade’s previous criminal associations are being investigated to identify potential hideouts. “We have reason to believe he may be receiving assistance from former associates in evading capture,” the official stated. “We are monitoring these known contacts closely.”
Political Fallout
The heinous crime has ignited a political firestorm in Maharashtra, with opposition parties sharply criticizing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the Home Department.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who serves as the guardian minister for Pune district, described the incident as “extremely unfortunate, distressing, infuriating” and “one that makes us hang our heads in shame.” In a statement posted on social media platform X, Pawar called for the death penalty for the perpetrator and assured the public that he had personally instructed the Pune Police Commissioner to take immediate action.
“The accused will be arrested at the earliest by the police, and for ensuring that he receives the harshest punishment under the law, the state government will take all steps,” Pawar pledged, adding that the Minister of Women and Child Development and the Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission had been directed to provide justice and support to the victim.
Opposition leaders have been vocal in their criticism. Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal drew parallels to the notorious 2012 Nirbhaya case in Delhi, which led to a change in government. He accused the BJP-led administration of focusing on “freebies” for women while neglecting their safety.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule condemned the incident, stating that it “shows that anti-social elements do not have any fear of law” and that “the home department has failed to curb crime in Pune.”
The Shiv Sena faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray staged a protest at the bus stand, with leader Vasant More and others reportedly vandalizing the security office on the premises. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan also condemned the rape, questioning the effectiveness of government campaigns like “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” and the “Ladli Behna Yojana” scheme in ensuring women’s safety.
Security Concerns at MSRTC Facilities
The incident has raised serious questions about security measures at MSRTC bus stands, particularly at Swargate, one of the largest facilities operated by the corporation. Investigations will include inquiries into how and why the bus depot management allowed such a crime to occur on their premises and inside their vehicle.
The proximity of the crime scene to a police station—reportedly just 100 meters away—has heightened concerns about police patrolling and vigilance in public transport areas, especially during early morning hours when fewer people are present.
A State on Edge
This assault comes amid existing tensions between Maharashtra and neighboring Karnataka, where interstate bus services had only just resumed on Wednesday following a four-day suspension triggered by a linguistic dispute and subsequent legal issues.
The Pune rape case serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of women using public transportation and has reignited debates about women’s safety in Maharashtra, the effectiveness of law enforcement, and the state government’s priorities.
As police intensify their search for Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the victim’s traumatic experience has become a rallying point for demands for improved security measures at transportation hubs and stronger enforcement of laws protecting women across the state.