Dattatray Ramdas Gade, a 37-year-old man accused of raping a woman aboard a bus at Pune’s Swargate bus station, was arrested on Friday morning after an extensive search. Police stated that Gade’s attempt to solicit food and water from a family ultimately led to his capture. Authorities also discovered ligature marks on his neck, indicating a possible suicide attempt.
“According to the primary medical report, a ligature mark was found on the accused. It is suspected that he attempted suicide. We are waiting for the final report,” Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Gade had been hiding in a paddy field in a village in Shirur tehsil, where police tracked him down using sniffer dogs and drones. Although the accused had turned off his mobile phone, authorities managed to pinpoint his location in the village after learning he had visited a house seeking water.
A repeat offender, Gade fled to his hometown of Shirur following the rape of a 26-year-old woman aboard a bus. The Pune police deployed drones and a dog squad to the village of Gunat, ultimately capturing the accused.
Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjan Kumar Sharma visited the village and briefed his officers on the progress of the investigation.
“The search operation in sugarcane fields with drones and dog squads was stopped at night. However, we received information that Gade had visited a house asking for food. We rushed to the spot, but he managed to flee. The family in the house gave him a bottle of water,” the official said.
The family alerted the police about the accused, leading authorities to his hideout in a paddy field.
“We have analysed points such as security, doors of buses, dark spots and more. We will discuss these with the state transport department, and a formal action will be implemented soon.”
