Pune Shivshahi rape case: CCTV visuals show accused approaching victim, luring her to the bus

As the manhunt to nab the 36-year-old man who raped a woman inside a stationary state transport bus at Pune's Swargate bus station continues, CCTV visuals accessed by the police corroborate the victim's statement about the man approaching her before trapping her inside the bus.

The crime, which took place on early Tuesday morning, came to light after the victim approached the police. 

After the incident came to light, the police checked the feed from the 20 CCTV cameras at Swargate depot which revealed how Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the alleged perpetrator, approached the victim, before convincing her to board a bus, which was parked on a dark corner of the depot. One of the cameras installed in the depot showed the accused and the 26-year-old victim talking to each other. Another footage also showed the two entering the bus and later stepping out of the bus. 

There was also a video which showed the woman, who was in a state of shock, later boarding another bus to Phaltan. She contacted a friend of hers to narrate the incident after which she returned to Swargate and filed a complaint with the police. 

As per the complaint filed by the woman, the accused approached her addressing her as 'didi' and convinced her that the bus to Phaltan was in the dark corner. Though she expressed doubts about the dark and empty bus, he asked her to board the bus. He then followed her inside and raped her before fleeing.

The police have formed multiple teams to track down the accused and the footage has been extensively circulated among police stations in the state. It was one of these footage that help the police identify the accused, who they say is a history-sheeter. 

He also faces cases in Ahilyanagar district. Gade was released on bail in a robbery case in 2019. In 2024, a theft case was lodged in Pune against Gade who was summoned to the police station.

There is widespread protest against the incident and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the guardian minister of Pune, called for a swift probe into the incident. In a statement, Pawar, who is the guardian minister of Pune district, said the incident is "painful, infuriating, and shameful", and the accused deserves a death penalty.