'Should Be Hanged': Deputy CM Shinde Vows Strict Action Against Pune Rape Accused

The woman was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in the adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5.45 am, a man approached and engaged her in conversation.

Shinde said people who carry out such crimes should be hanged. 

Source : PTI

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said that no one will be spared in connection with the rape of a 26-year-old woman on a bus in Pune. Shinde said people who carry out such crimes should be hanged. 

The Pune Police have deployed 13 teams to search Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the man who allegedly raped the woman at Swargate ST Depot in Pune, as he remains absconding. The Crime Branch has taken charge of the investigation and the teams have been dispatched in multiple directions, considering all possible locations where Gade might be hiding.

Swargate in Pune City is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

The woman was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in the adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5.45 am, a man approached and engaged her in conversation, calling her 'didi' (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.

He took her to an empty 'Shiv Shahi' AC bus parked elsewhere on the sprawling station premises. As the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in at first, but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. He then followed her inside and raped her.

The Accused Repeatedly Harassed A Female Friend Earlier

On Wednesday, the Crime Branch interrogated Gade's friends, including a female acquaintance brought in from Bhor for questioning. 

She revealed shocking details, stating that Gade frequently called and messaged her, pestering her to help him reconnect with another female friend. She further claimed that he harassed her repeatedly over the phone. 

Police suspect that this may not have been Gade’s first offence and he may have harassed other women in the past. Police have so far questioned 10 of Gade’s acquaintances and gathered detailed information about him. Originally from Shirur, Gade’s home is now under police surveillance.