"‘Pune bus rape accused called victim sister, raped her twice’: Police tell court | Pune News"
A heinous crime, a devastating aftermath
A 26-year-old woman’s life was shattered when she was raped twice by accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade on a government-run Shivshahi bus in Pune, India. The gruesome incident has sent shockwaves across the nation, and the accused is now facing the music in court.
A call that sealed her fate
The victim had gone to Swargate bus depot to catch a bus to her hometown in Satara district when the accused, 37-year-old Gade, allegedly approached her, gaining her trust by repeatedly calling her "sister". He then asked her to accompany him to another part of the depot, where he had parked a bus known as the Shivshahi bus, which commutes along the Swargate-Solapur route.
A nightmare unfolds
The victim, unaware of her fate, followed Gade, who led her to the bus and allegedly told her that there were no passengers inside, but it would be okay to use her mobile phone light to see. She found no passengers, but Gade convinced her to get into the bus, claiming that they might be sleeping and she could use her light to see. It was then that her world began to fall apart, as Gade allegedly raped her twice in the bus, fleeing the scene, leaving her in a state of distress.
The aftermath
The victim, with tears in her eyes, finally narrated her horrific ordeal to a male friend over the phone, who insisted that she approach the police. She reached the Swargate police station around 9 am and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 64, 351 (2).
A history sheeter with a troubling past
Pune police, in their submission to the court, revealed that Gade had a troubled past, with six criminal cases against him, including five cases involving women. This raised concerns about the approach he had towards women, the police explained.
Defence: Consensual relations
However, Gade’s lawyers, Advocates Sajid Shah, Wajed Khan Bidkar, Ajinkya Mahadik, and Sumit Pote, argued that the accused never forced the victim and that they had consensual physical relations, which couldn’t be called rape. They further claimed that the accused had never been convicted in any of the past cases and that his brother had been detained by police, despite having a different appearance.
The legal battle ahead
The court remanded Gade to police custody till March 12, giving the authorities time to investigate further, conduct a medical test, and seize his cell phone and the clothes he wore during the crime. The police plans to investigate if Gade had committed similar offenses in the past and if anyone else was involved in this heinous crime.
In a society where women’s safety is a constant concern, the Pune bus rape case has sent a chilling message, emphasizing the need for swift justice and improved law enforcement to protect the vulnerable. Will justice be served, or will it be another case of injustice?
Key highlights:
- Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, 37, accused of raping a 26-year-old woman on a government-run bus
- He allegedly approached her, gaining her trust by repeatedly calling her "sister"
- He then led her to a bus with no passengers, allegedly committing the crime
- Police arrested Gade from his native village in Shirur taluka, Pune district
- Defence lawyers argue that the accused never forced the victim and had consensual physical relations
- Gade has a history of criminal cases, including five involving women
- The accused was remanded to police custody till March 12 for further investigation
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