Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the accused in the Pune bus rape case has been apprehended and that the police will conduct a detailed investigation based on technical and forensic evidence.
“The probe will reveal the sequence of events and further details,” he said.
“The police have arrested the accused, who was in hiding. However, they managed to locate him using various technologies. Soon, the entire incident will be revealed. The Police Commissioner has provided some information about the case, but it would not be appropriate to disclose further details at this stage. All relevant information will be available after the investigation,” he added.
“It would be premature to comment on the matter at this point. The accused will be taken into custody, and an investigation will follow.”
Pune Police arrested Dattatray Gade, the accused in the Swargate rape case, around 1:30 a.m. on Friday. He was found hiding in a sugarcane farm in Gunat village, Shirur taluka. The police had deployed 13 teams comprising over 500 personnel and a dog squad in search of Gade, who had been missing since Tuesday after allegedly raping a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Swargate bus depot.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nikhil Pingle led the team that apprehended Gade and later handed him over to Swargate police for further investigation.
Police sources said an extensive search was launched in Gade’s home village, Gunat, involving personnel from the crime branch, drone cell, and dog squad from surrounding districts. DCP Pingle noted that villagers cooperated with the police during the operation.
Police Commissioner Amritesh Kumar said that a preliminary medical examination of the accused revealed rope wounds on his neck, suggesting he may have attempted suicide. Gade reportedly confessed to the attempt, stating that the rope broke before he could succeed, and by that time, people had arrived at the scene. A team will be sent to investigate whether he actually attempted suicide.
(With IANS input)
