Maharashtra: Rape in parked Shivshahi bus rocks Pune

A 26yearold woman was allegedly raped inside a Shivshahi bus at Punersquos Swargate ST bus depot early on Tuesday morning A massive manhunt is underway to nab the accused Dattatraya Ramdas Gade 36 a Shikrapur resident who has been named in several robbery cases according to the policeAccording to the police the woman reached Swargate around 530 am to board a bus to Phaltan Gade allegedly misled her claiming her bus would depart from a different spot and convinced her to follow him He then allegedly led her to a secluded dimly lit bus locked the door and raped herThe Shivshahi bus on which the crime took place PICSPECIAL ARRANGEMENTThe woman initially left for Phaltan but midway decided to return and reported the incident at Swargate police station Police reviewed CCTV footage and identified the accused Eight teams have been deployed to track him down A dog squad is also assisting in the searchPolice SpeakDeputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil said ldquoThe survivor works in Pune and was travelling to her hometown in Satara district On Tuesday she was waiting for a bus when the accused approached her It appears that he spoke to her and shortly afterward the person sitting next to her got up and left The accused befriended her by speaking sweetly and asked where she was going On learning she was headed to Phaltan he then told her that the bus did not stop there and that she needed to go to a different location to catch one that did He offered to take her to the bus stop CCTV footage shows the woman walking toward the bus with the accusedrdquoA screengrab of a video put out by Maharashtra State Commission for Women President Rupali Chakankar PICXChakankarSpeaksPatil added ldquoThe inside of the bus was dark and the woman remarked on this The accused however claimed the bus had arrived at night and that passengers were sleeping which is why it was unlit He assured her that she could check for herself and asked her to step inside When the woman entered the bus the accused followed her locked the door and raped her CCTV footage shows the accused leaving the bus and the woman also disembarking before setting off for her hometown After travelling some distance she told a friend what had happened Following his advice she approached us at the police station The accused has been identified as a resident of Shirur villagerdquoAs per the police the Shivshahi bus in which the alleged rape occurred belongs to the Solapur depot The police said that the woman was sent to Sassoon Hospital for a medical check and she is stable Her medical reports were awaitedlsquoAvoid trusting strangersrsquoRupali Chakankar president of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women told midday ldquoThe incident is extremely serious I have personally spoken to the police commissioner and the investigating officers and have also reviewed the CCTV footage myselfrdquo She said ldquoIn the footage the woman is seen talking to the accused for some time before he misled her and committed the crime This highlights the importance of being cautious while interacting with strangers Government agencies and inquiry cells are always available for help and it is essential to reach out to them in such situations Unfortunately the survivor trusted a stranger which led to this tragic and painful incidentrdquo hellip pictwittercomSERv0BcISpmdash Rupali Chakankar ChakankarSpeaks February 26 2025Expressing confidence that the accused would be arrested soon Chakankar said ldquoI appeal to young women to remain vigilant in public spaces and avoid trusting unknown individuals It is crucial to seek assistance from authorities and take precautions for personal safety Predators are lurking among us and their number is increasing We must stay alert I have instructed the administration to ensure proper counselling for the survivor and expedite the investigationrdquo She added that buses parked at depots must be locked properly to prevent such incidents from occurringPunekars outragedMeanwhile the incident has sparked outrage among Pune residents who raised concerns about security at public transport hubs The Swargate bus depot a busy transit point in the city is crowded throughout the day Commuters expressed shock that such a crime could occur at such a place What makes this case even more alarming is that a police outpost is located near the bus depot and cops regularly patrol the area they saidSarika Kale a Pune resident who often travels to Mumbai from Swargate said ldquoThe incident is extremely shocking The Swargate bus depot administration and Swargate police should treat it with utmost seriousnessrdquoPooja Desai another commuter said ldquoA large number of women passengers arrive at Swargate bus depot from various districts of Maharashtra yet no proper facilities are available here At night the bus station is enveloped in darkness creating an environment where many women are harassed Often intoxicated individuals can be found at the bus depot The police must get rid of such peoplerdquoSunanda Chowdary another woman said ldquoIt is very shocking that such incidents are happening in a city that was recognised as lsquoVidhyeche Mahergharrsquo hometown of education Only recently the city was shaken by the gangrape of a student in Bopdev Ghat Pune is almost the first choice for parents who wish to send their children for education and employment but this will change nowrdquoPolitical uproarLeaders across party lines such as NCP SP MP Supriya Sule and MLA Rohit Pawar NCP Ajit Pawar leader Rupali Thombre Patil Shiv Sena UBTrsquos Sushma Andhare and former Kasba MLA Ravindra Dhangekar slammed the city police over the incidentDr Neelam Gorhe deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council has called for the establishment of womenrsquos vigilance committees at all MSRTC depots to enhance womenrsquos safety She has also demanded that CCTV cameras be monitored at night and an increase in security personnel at bus stands Gorhe emphasised the urgent need for installing CCTV cameras and following safety measures in buses MSRTC officials were not available for commentTransport minister in action modePratap SarnaikState Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said ldquoTaking serious note of the incident we have directed that a departmental inquiry be conducted through senior officials against the station head assistant traffic superintendent and the depot manager on duty at the time If found guilty they should be immediately suspended These instructions were given to MSRTC ViceChairman and Acting Managing Director Vivek Bhimanwarrdquo Sarnaik has also ordered an urgent meeting of all senior MSRTC officials on Thursday to review overall security measures All security personnel stationed at the bus terminal are to be replaced immediately Sarnaik also sought that a detailed report on the incident be submitted within the next seven daysMadhuri Misal minister of state for transport said ldquoUnder the Mahila Sanman Yojana women currently receive a 50 per cent concession on travel fares leading to a significant rise in women passengers However their safety has now become a pressing concern In light of the recent incident Sarnaik has called for an urgent meeting of senior MSRTC officials to discuss and implement concrete measures for womenrsquos safety CCTV cameras have already been installed at Swargate depot and further improvements will be made Additionally in coordination with the transport department and local administration a comprehensive review of security systems will be conducted with a special focus on enhancing womenrsquos safetyrdquo