Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday said the Pune rape case accused deserves nothing but the death penalty. He said he has directed the Pune police commissioner to investigate the alleged rape of a woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the Swargate depot and swiftly arrest the accused.
The accused, who is on the run, used a mask to hide his identity after the crime. The Pune Crime Branch has deployed 13 teams along with a dog squad to arrest the accused. Additionally, a bounty of Rs 1 lakh has been announced by the police for anyone providing information about the accused.
A 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a stationary state transport bus at the Swargate depot in Pune on Tuesday morning. The accused, identified as 36-year-old Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, was out on bail for a previous criminal case. Gade is a history-sheeter with several criminal cases registered against him at Shirur, Shikrapur, and Swargate police stations. The accused is currently on the run.
Ajit Pawar instructed the Pune Police Commissioner to investigate the incident thoroughly and arrest the accused at the earliest.
"The incident of rape at the Swargate bus station is extremely unfortunate, painful, infuriating, and shameful to all in civilised society. The crime committed by the accused is unforgivable, and there can be no other punishment for him than death. I have directed the Pune police commissioner to personally look into this matter and arrest the accused immediately," Pawar said.
Pawar said that the Maharashtra Chief Minister has also taken note of the incident and given necessary instructions to the police.
"Instructions have been given to the Minister of Women and Child Development and the Chairperson of the State Women's Commission to provide justice, psychological support, and all possible assistance to the victim," he added.
The incident happened when the woman was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5.45 am.
According to the woman, as she was waiting for the bus, 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 before fleeing, the woman told police.
Police are examining CCTV footage of the Swargate bus station and nearby areas, and seeking technical assistance for clues and to track down the accused.
Source: India Today