Dattatray Gade, a 37-year-old man from the Indian state of Maharashtra accused of raping a 26-year-old woman, tried hanging himself thrice after the rape, but everytime his rope broke, Pune Police said on Friday (Feb 28). The accused was nabbed after a 75-hour long chase and manhunt. 

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"We found ligature marks on Gade's neck at the time when our team detained him," Police said adding that when they questioned Gade about the marks, he told them that he tried to hang himself late Thursday from a nearby tree in a sugar cane field in which he was hiding before the arrest. 

Also read: Pune bus rape case: Dogs, drones and request for water, here's how police nab accused

He was later taken to the court of judicial magistrate and police demanded a remand of 14 days to investigate the alleged rape. 

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Gade is accused of raping a woman inside a bus at Swargate bus station in the Indian city of Pune - but his lawyers opposed the remand claiming that it was not a rape but a consensual relationship. 

Pune Police was granted the remand of Gade till March 12. 

The dramatic arrest 

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As many as 100 police personnel were deployed in the search operation. The team surrounded the sugar cane field where Gade was hidden. 

"Our team arrested him around 1.30 am on Friday after he came out of the field (around 10.30pm) as he was feeling thirsty. He went to a nearby house and demanded water to drink. The house occupants identified him and gave him water. The occupants immediately contacted a police constable who ultimately alerted the police team at the sugar cane field. Our team then carried out searches in the direction where he went. He then started running away when local villagers and police chased and nabbed him," police said in a news breifing. 

Also read: Police arrest Pune bus rape case accused after major manhunt

"During his initial questioning, Gade told our team that he ate sugar cane and tomatoes in the field for two days but did not get water to the point where his thirst prompted him to step out of the sugar cane field," police added. 

What did the survivor say? 

The man, a history sheeter, allegedly raped the woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the Swargate station, which is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).  

Also read: Pune rape case: 13 police teams deployed to nab accused, cash reward announced

The incident happened when the woman was waiting for her bus at 5.45 am IST. 

The survivor told the police that Gade started a conversation with her and called her sister. He then told her that her bus had arrived at another platform. 

Later, he took her to an empty bus parked on the premises where he allegedly raped her. The woman said that she was refusing to board the bus as the lights were off in it but Gade insisted her to enter. 

Also read: Pedophile predator travelled 240km to violently rape 12-year-old he met on Snapchat; Jailed for 7 years

(With inputs from agencies)