Pune bus rape horror: Manhunt ends as police arrest accused using drones, dog squad

By Sumesh Rajan | February 28, 2025

PUNE, INDIA – In a dramatic midnight operation involving over 500 police personnel, drone surveillance, and a sniffer dog squad, Pune City Police arrested Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, a 37-year-old man accused of raping a 26-year-old medical professional inside a parked state transport bus at the Swargate terminus.

Gade was apprehended at 1:30 am on February 28, from a sugarcane field in Gunat village situated in Shirur Taluka, approximately 100 kilometers from Pune after being on the run for nearly 75 hours.

The Crime: A Chilling Assault in a Public Hub

The horrifying incident occurred on February 25 morning between 5:30 am and 6:00 am at the Swargate bus stand, one of Pune’s busiest transit hubs, which handles around 60,000 passengers daily. The victim, a preoperative counsellor at a city hospital, was waiting to board a bus to her hometown in Satara district when she was approached by the accused, who deceitfully addressed her as “didi” (elder sister).

Feigning helpfulness, Gade misled the woman into believing that her delayed bus was still at the stand and convinced her to follow him. As CCTV footage later revealed, he guided her to an empty Shivshahi AC bus parked at the depot. When the woman hesitated due to the lack of lighting inside, Gade reassured her, claiming passengers were asleep inside. Once she stepped in, he swiftly followed, locked the doors, and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene.

The Victim’s Ordeal and the Police Response

After the attack, the traumatized survivor initially boarded a bus to her hometown, where she narrated the ordeal to a friend. Upon her friend’s insistence, she approached the Pune police, filing a complaint by 9:30 am on February 25. A medical examination was promptly conducted, and an FIR was registered the same evening under relevant sections of sexual assault laws.

Detectives soon identified Gade as a habitual offender, already named in multiple cases of theft, robbery, and chain snatching across Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He had previously been out on bail since 2019.

A High-Stakes Manhunt: Police Deploy Advanced Technology

“Following the brutal assault, Pune City Police launched a massive operation to capture Gade. Eight specialized police teams worked tirelessly to track him, relying on technical surveillance, informant networks, and CCTV footage analysis,” informed Pune Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar IPS.

To intensify efforts, law enforcement officials announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh ($1,200 USD) for crucial information leading to his arrest. 13 police teams, including Pune City and Pune Rural Police, spread out across Maharashtra, scoured potential hideouts.

“As intelligence reports suggested Gade was hiding in his native Gunat village, we sealed off all escape routes and commenced a thorough search of the sugarcane fields in the village, using drone cameras with thermal imaging and sniffer dogs. After hours of combing the area, Gade was finally forced out of hiding and arrested in the early hours of February 28,” stated CP Kumar.

He also praised the support given to the police by the local residents in nabbing Gade.

Political Repercussions and Calls for Action

The incident, which occurred a mere 100 meters from a police station, has triggered widespread outrage, raising serious concerns about women’s safety in public spaces. Maharashtra State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered an internal departmental inquiry against the assistant traffic superintendent and Swargate depot manager for potential lapses in security.

Women’s rights groups and opposition leaders have called for swift judicial action and stronger preventive measures at public transport hubs. Security experts have stressed the urgent need for enhanced surveillance, better staff training, and improved patrolling at major bus terminals.

A Pune court on February 28 remanded Gade, in the Pune bus rape case, to 12-day police custody until March 12.

Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for Public Safety

While Pune Police’s swift and strategic response led to Gade’s arrest, the case underscores a larger systemic failure in ensuring safety in public places. As authorities move forward with legal proceedings, this incident serves as a stark reminder that women’s safety must be prioritized, with stringent law enforcement, increased vigilance, and infrastructural improvements to prevent such heinous crimes in the future.

"The identity of the victim has been withheld to protect her privacy, as per Supreme Court directives on sexual assault cases".