Pune: A 26-year-old woman was sexually assaulted inside a MSRTC bus at Pune’s Swargate Bus Depot in the early hours of Monday, raising serious concerns about women’s safety in public transport areas. The accused, identified as Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, lured the victim into the bus under false pretenses and assaulted her.

Following the shocking incident, Pune police have formed eight special teams to track down the accused, who has a history of criminal offenses, including robbery cases registered in Shirur and Shikrapur.

According to ACP Smartna Patil, the victim was waiting for a bus to Phaltan at Swargate when the accused approached her, deceived her by saying her bus was parked elsewhere, and offered to guide her. Despite her initial reluctance, she was convinced and followed him.

When they reached the bus, she noticed it was dark and questioned the accused, who lied, saying, "Passengers are asleep inside. You can check with a flashlight." As soon as she entered, he locked the doors and assaulted her before fleeing the scene. The victim later called a friend, who urged her to immediately report the incident to the police.

Police Investigation Underway

Based on CCTV footage, police have confirmed the identity of the accused as Dattatraya Gade, a resident of Shirur. Given his previous criminal record, police suspect he may have fled to rural areas.

To intensify the search, law enforcement has:

• Deployed eight police teams

• Engaged a dog squad for tracking

• Reviewed security measures at Swargate Depot

ACP Patil added, "If the victim had immediately called for help, nearby people might have come to her rescue. However, the trauma of the situation left her in shock."