- विज्ञापन -
Pune: The Pune Crime Branch has formally arrested Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the suspect in the recent rape case. Gade was detained from a village in Shirur Tehsil after evading capture since the incident occurred on Tuesday. The victim, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return to Phaltan, approximately 100 km away, when Gade approached her under the pretense that her bus was located elsewhere. He then led her to a parked MSRTC Shivsahi bus, where he allegedly assaulted her.
In response to the incident, State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered an immediate security audit of all bus stands and depots statewide. A statement released on Thursday indicated that he has also mandated the removal of all registered buses parked at bus stations and depots, as well as vehicles seized by transport offices, by April 15. Acknowledging the increasing number of female passengers, Minister Sarnaik highlighted the necessity of hiring more female security guards at bus stations. He also called for a timeline to eliminate unregistered buses from bus stand areas by April 15 and requested the appointment of an IPS officer to fill the vacant Chief Security and Vigilance Officer position in the State Transport Corporation.
On Thursday, leaders and supporters of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SCP protested at the Swargate bus depot in Pune, demanding stringent action against the accused, including capital punishment, and advocating for women’s safety. Following the February 25 incident, Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has initiated a departmental inquiry into the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager at the Swargate Bus Depot.
