Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 27 : Pune City Police on Thursday said they have expanded their efforts to apprehend the accused in the Swargate bus depot rape case, who has been on the run since Tuesday. They have also announced a Rs one lakh cash reward to nab the accused identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade.
A total of 13 teams have been deployed to track down the suspect, with eight teams from the Crime Branch and five teams from Swargate Police Station working on the ground. Police teams have even been dispatched outside the district to intensify the search, they said.
Smartana Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Zone II, Pune said, "We have declared a Rs one lakh cash award for the person who helps in nabbing the accused. We have sent the bus for forensic investigation. Our teams have been working day and night since the incident happened."
Patil further explained the challenges in identifying the suspect, noting that he had worn a mask during the attack, making it difficult to to recognize his face.
"The problem is that the accused had a mask on when the incident happened, and his face wasn't easily recognizable. But our team worked hard to recognize the accused, and we have other pieces of evidence against him," DCP Patil said.
She expressed confidence in the police team's ability to catch the suspect, stating, "All that is left is to nab him."
Meanwhile, Maharashtra's Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has ordered a departmental inquiry against the Assistant Transport Superintendent and the Bus Depot Manager of the Swargate Bus Depot in Pune following the February 25 incident in which a 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a parked bus.
According to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Minister Sarnaik "has given instructions to suspend them if they are found at fault in the inquiry."
Additionally, the Transport Minister has instructed the MSRTC to replace all existing security personnel at the Swargate bus depot with new staff to ensure better safety measures and prevent such incidents in the future.
The incident took place on Tuesday when the rape survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, which is located around 100 km away. She was allegedly approached by the accused, who falsely claimed that the bus to her destination was parked elsewhere. He led her to a MSRTC Shivsahi bus parked in the depot and followed her in where he allegedly raped her.