A day after the rape incident in a standing Shivshahi bus in Pune sparked a huge uproar among political circles, Maharashtra Minister of Home Affairs (State), Yogesh Kadam, criticized the transport department, stating that it cannot escape accountability by simply issuing letters. He also assured that the investigation is progressing on a fast track.

For the uninitiated, NCP-SP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule on Thursday flagged an recent letter written by the Swargate bus depot chief to the police regarding the security situation of the depot.

State Minister of Home Affairs, Yogesh Kadam, on Thursday, provided an update on the rape incident that occurred at Swargate ST stand on Tuesday morning. Minister Kadam stated that the police began the investigation within 30 minutes of receiving the complaint.

Criticizing the transport department, he pointed out that private security personnel stationed at the bus stand failed in their duty, as they were not attentive enough.

Transport dept vs Cops

Minister Kadam emphasised that the transport department cannot escape accountability by merely issuing letters. He highlighted that the ST (State Transport) Corporation is responsible for providing 24-hour security, and the depot manager should have been more vigilant. "A meeting between the police and the transport department will be held soon to discuss security measures. Instead of engaging in a blame game, our priority is to capture the accused. Once he is in custody, more details will emerge," Kadam concluded.

"All available CCTV footage has been thoroughly examined, and the identity of the accused has been confirmed. Authorities are currently tracking the suspect, and his possible locations have been identified. To prevent the suspect from becoming alert and changing locations, the police initially refrained from making the case public. However, they were actively pursuing the accused as per the description, who is known to have a criminal record in rural areas," he added.

"On the day of the crime, police patrols conducted regular rounds, with the police inspector making rounds at 1 AM and 3 AM. Despite this, the accused managed to commit the crime in the presence of 15 people, none of whom raised suspicion," he said.

The Pune city police have received ₹437 crore in funding to enhance CCTV surveillance, with plans to upgrade the existing system with AI-based monitoring technology.

What is the case?

The incident took place on Tuesday early morning 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 Maharasthra state transport corporation Shivsahi bus parked in the depot and followed her in where he allegedly raped her.

The woman approached police after the alleged crime and a police case was registered on the same day at Tuesday.

Pune city police has launched a hunt for the absconding accused, identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade.

According to the Police, they have widened their search for the absconding accused identified as and a total of 13 teams are on the ground to nab him. "Eight teams of Crime Branch unit and five teams of Swargate Police station are looking for the accused. Teams have also been sent out of district," Pune City Police said.