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

Pune City Police, on Thursday (Feb 27), said that they have intensified their search for the accused in the Swargate bus depot rape case. Dattatray Ramdas, the accused, has been evading arrest since Tuesday (Feb 25).

The police have also announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh ($1,145.57 USD) for information leading to his capture.

Thirteen teams have been deployed to track down the suspect with eight teams from the Crime Branch and five teams from Swargate Police Station. To widen the dragnet, police teams have also been sent outside the district to intensify the search, said the police officials.

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Smartana Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone II, Pune said, "We have declared a Rs one lakh cash award for the person who helps in nabbing the accused. We have sent the bus for forensic investigation. Our teams have been working day and night since the incident happened."

Patil further detailed the challenges in identifying the suspect, highlighting that he had worn a mask during the attack, making it difficult to recognise his face.

"The problem is that the accused had a mask on when the incident happened, and his face wasn't easily recognizable. But our team worked hard to recognize the accused, and we have other pieces of evidence against him," DCP Patil said.

She voiced her trust in the police team, saying they're on the verge of capturing the suspect, and confidently stated, "All that is left is to nab him."

Maharashtra's Transport Minister orders departmental inquiry

Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager of the Swargate Bus Depot.

Sarnaik "has given instructions to suspend them if they are found at fault in the inquiry," according to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

The incident occurred on Tuesday when the rape survivor, a 26-year-old working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, approximately 100 km away. The accused allegedly approached her, falsely claiming that the bus to her destination was parked elsewhere.

He then led her to a parked MSRTC Shivsahi bus within the depot, where he followed her in and allegedly committed the crime.

Political parties condemn incident

Political parties staged a protest to condemn the incident on Wednesday.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vasant More and his supporters ransacked the MSRTC office at Swargate, protesting the incident.

Union Minister and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol strongly condemned the incident, emphasising that such incidents will not be tolerated.

“I have spoken to the police commissioner and sought the immediate arrest of the culprit. We will extend full support to police to maintain law and order in the city,” he said.

NCP (SP) MP and party executive president Supriya Sule noted that the incident occurred close to a police station in a busy area, which she said shows that there was no fear of the police in the city.

“It raises concerns over the safety of women in the state. There is a serious crime taking place in the city every day and the Home department has failed to curb crime. It shows the pathetic state of law and order. The culprit should be given stringent punishment and the case should be tried in a fast-track court,” she said.

(With inputs from agencies)