Daijiworld Media Network - Pune
Pune, Mar 1: A court has remanded Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, accused of raping a woman at Swargate depot, to police custody till March 12. The police informed the court that the 26-year-old victim was raped twice inside a government-run Shivshahi bus in the early hours of February 25.
Gade (37) was arrested from his native village in Shirur taluka following a three-day search operation. After a medical examination at Sassoon Hospital, he was produced before the court of judicial magistrate (first class) T S Gaygole.
According to the police, the victim was waiting for a bus to Satara when Gade, repeatedly addressing her as "tai" (sister), gained her trust and led her to an empty Shivshahi bus. Once inside, he allegedly raped her twice and fled. The distraught victim later confided in a friend, who urged her to report the incident. She filed a complaint at Swargate police station, leading to Gade’s identification through CCTV footage.
Police revealed that Gade is a history-sheeter with six previous cases, five involving women. They sought his custody to conduct a medical examination, recover evidence, and probe possible past offenses.
The defence, however, claimed the relations were consensual and argued that Gade had no prior convictions. Despite their plea for a shorter custody period, the court granted police custody till March 12.
A heavy police presence was deployed at the court due to security concerns, with senior officials monitoring the situation.