Mumbai, Feb 28 – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday confirmed the arrest of Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37), the man accused of raping a woman inside a parked state transport bus at Pune’s Swargate terminus. The accused, who had been on the run for four days, was tracked and apprehended using advanced surveillance technologies, including drones and sniffer dogs.
Gade, accused of assaulting a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary MSRTC bus in the early hours of Tuesday, was finally located in a paddy field in his native Shirur tehsil. The Pune police launched an extensive manhunt, employing various technological methods to trace him.
"The accused was in hiding, and the police successfully tracked him using different technologies. While some details have been shared by the Pune Police Commissioner, further disclosures will be made at the appropriate time," Fadnavis told reporters.
When asked about reports suggesting that Gade may have attempted suicide following the brutal incident, the Chief Minister said it was too early to confirm such claims.
Political Row Over Shiv Sena's Legitimacy
Meanwhile, the political landscape in Maharashtra witnessed heated exchanges following remarks by Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray. Taking a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray claimed that taking a dip in the Ganga would not cleanse the "sin" of betraying Maharashtra.Responding to this, Fadnavis dismissed Thackeray's comments, urging him to introspect. "If the original Shiv Sena (UBT) was truly the people's choice and the Shinde faction were traitors, then why did the people of Maharashtra vote for them in the 2024 assembly polls? The electorate validated Shinde-led Shiv Sena as the real party," Fadnavis asserted.
The Pune rape case has sparked widespread outrage, with authorities vowing swift legal action against the accused. Further investigations into Gade’s criminal background and potential motives are underway.
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