Pune Police arrest Dattaray Ramdas Gade, accused of raping a woman at Swargate bus station, after a dramatic midnight search involving drones and dog squads.
A 37-year-old man, on the run after allegedly raping a woman inside a bus at Pune's Swargate bus station, was arrested following a dramatic midnight search by police using drones and sniffer dogs.
Dattaray Ramdas Gade, who had fled Pune shortly after the assault, was finally apprehended around midnight on Thursday while hiding in a paddy field in his native Shirur tehsil. The breakthrough came after Gade approached a local house for food and water, inadvertently revealing his location to the authorities.
After receiving a tip-off from villagers in Gunat, where Gade had sought help, Pune Police quickly resumed their search operation. Initially paused at night due to poor visibility, the operation involved 13 police teams, drones, and dog squads meticulously combing through dense sugarcane and paddy fields.
Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma personally visited Gunat village to supervise the extensive search efforts. "The search operation was temporarily halted at night, but restarted immediately upon receiving fresh intelligence about the suspect," a senior police official confirmed.
Gade, a known history-sheeter, had allegedly sexually assaulted the 26-year-old woman early on Tuesday inside a state transport bus stationed at Swargate. Police investigations revealed that after committing the crime, he immediately fled to Shirur, switching off his mobile phone to evade tracking.
"He was hiding in the fields when we apprehended him. After his arrest around midnight, he was brought to Pune by 2 AM for a medical examination," the official added. Gade will be formally presented before a court later today.
The accused has multiple prior criminal records, including theft, robbery, and chain-snatching cases registered in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts, and had been out on bail since 2019.
Pune Police appreciated the timely help provided by villagers, emphasizing their critical role in ensuring swift justice.
A 37-year-old man, on the run after allegedly raping a woman inside a bus at Pune's Swargate bus station, was arrested following a dramatic midnight search by police using drones and sniffer dogs.
Dattaray Ramdas Gade, who had fled Pune shortly after the assault, was finally apprehended around midnight on Thursday while hiding in a paddy field in his native Shirur tehsil. The breakthrough came after Gade approached a local house for food and water, inadvertently revealing his location to the authorities.
After receiving a tip-off from villagers in Gunat, where Gade had sought help, Pune Police quickly resumed their search operation. Initially paused at night due to poor visibility, the operation involved 13 police teams, drones, and dog squads meticulously combing through dense sugarcane and paddy fields.
Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma personally visited Gunat village to supervise the extensive search efforts. "The search operation was temporarily halted at night, but restarted immediately upon receiving fresh intelligence about the suspect," a senior police official confirmed.
Gade, a known history-sheeter, had allegedly sexually assaulted the 26-year-old woman early on Tuesday inside a state transport bus stationed at Swargate. Police investigations revealed that after committing the crime, he immediately fled to Shirur, switching off his mobile phone to evade tracking.
"He was hiding in the fields when we apprehended him. After his arrest around midnight, he was brought to Pune by 2 AM for a medical examination," the official added. Gade will be formally presented before a court later today.
The accused has multiple prior criminal records, including theft, robbery, and chain-snatching cases registered in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts, and had been out on bail since 2019.
Pune Police appreciated the timely help provided by villagers, emphasizing their critical role in ensuring swift justice.
