Pune rape accused caught in paddy fields, suicide attempt suspected

A request for food and water from a house led to the arrest of a 37-year-old man on the run after allegedly raping a woman inside a bus at Swargate bus station in Pune, police said on Friday.

The accused, Dattatray Ramdas Gade, was apprehended from a paddy field following an extensive search operation with the help of drones and sniffer dogs around midnight in Shirur tehsil.

Pune police have said a ligature mark was found on the accused's neck, raising suspicion that he might have attempted suicide.

A senior police officer said, "Gade was brought to Pune by 2 am. He was sent for a medical examination and formally arrested. The accused will be produced in court later in the day."

Gade, a history-sheeter, fled to his native place in Shirur after allegedly sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman inside a state transport bus at Swargate bus station in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to sources, the accused switched off his mobile phone, but the police managed to reach his village and found out he had visited a house requesting water.

Pune police on Thursday deployed drones and a dog squad in Gunat village to nab the accused, and 13 teams were part of the search operation, an official said.

Joint commissioner of police Ranjan Kumar Sharma also visited the village and briefed his officers, he said.

"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.

He said the family informed the police about the accused's presence in the area, after which the police team resumed the search.

The official said the accused was seen hiding in a paddy field nearby and was apprehended.

Talking to reporters, Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, "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."

The senior official thanked the residents of Gunat village who helped the police in the search operation.

"The accused will be produced in court today. A special unit will be formed to investigate the incident. We will try to take the case to a fast-track court, and a special councillor will be appointed," he said.

Kumar said the security and safety audit of the Swargate bus depot has concluded.

"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."

Gade is named in half a dozen theft, robbery and chain-snatching cases in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He has been out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences.