Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 27: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken serious note of the horrific sexual assault on a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune’s Swargate Bus Depot. In response, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla, demanding a comprehensive investigation report along with a copy of the victim’s complaint.
Pune Police have intensified their efforts to apprehend the prime accused, Dattatray Gade. However, their initial search revealed that Gade had not returned home, and his brother claimed he had no mobile phone. Police have since questioned Gade’s girlfriend and summoned his parents for further investigation.
Preliminary inquiries indicate that Dattatray Ramdas Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Shirur taluka, Pune district, comes from a farming background. He owns three acres of ancestral land and a family home, where his parents work in agriculture. Married with children, Gade was reportedly unemployed and had resorted to criminal activities for financial gain.
Gade has a long criminal record, with multiple robbery and looting cases registered against him. In 2019, he took a loan to buy a four-wheeler for passenger transport between Pune and Ahilyanagar. During this time, he allegedly targeted elderly women, offering them lifts before robbing them at knifepoint.
Additionally, he had contested for a position under the state government’s Tanta Mukti Abhiyan (Dispute-Free Village Campaign) but failed in his bid.
His criminal activities include a 2020 robbery at Kare Ghat near Shirur, for which he was convicted. Several cases have also been filed against him at police stations in Shikrapur, Supa, Kedgaon, and Kotwali in Ahilyanagar district.
The incident has triggered strong reactions from political leaders. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut likened it to Delhi’s Nirbhaya case, stating, “Fortunately, the victim survived. Our Shiv Sainiks staged a strong protest at Swargate, yet cases are now being filed against them. Pune has become unsafe, and criminals no longer fear the law.” He accused the Home Department of focusing on political vendettas instead of ensuring public safety.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray also condemned the crime, questioning the state’s deteriorating law and order situation. “Where is Maharashtra heading? Even Mumbai is witnessing similar incidents. There is no fear of the police anymore,” he remarked.
Thackeray also extended support to party activists, including Vasant More, who led protests at Swargate Bus Depot, demanding swift justice for the victim and stricter action against the accused.