Dattatraya Ramdas Gade, the Pune rape accused who is on the run, posed as a policeman for several months, sources have told NDTV. Rs 1 lakh will be given to the person providing information about his whereabouts, Pune Police Commissioner has announced.

A 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a state transport bus at the Swargate bus station, which is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), in Pune on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old accused, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, is named in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district. He has been out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences.

Sources say the Swargate bus stop was the accused’s usual haunt. He was, say sources, often spotted around there in a shirt, sports shoes and a mask. He would tell people around the bus stand that he was a policeman, the sources added.

According to the survivor, she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in Satara district at one of the platforms around 5.45 am on Tuesday, when the accused engaged her in conversation, calling her ‘didi’ (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.

He took her to an empty ‘Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked elsewhere on the premises. As the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle. The accused then followed her and raped her, the woman, who works in the medical field, told the police.

According to residents of Gunat village, the accused is married and has children. He also has a brother and his parents are farm labourers, say villagers.  

Earlier today, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik ordered a security audit of all bus stations and depots of the State Road Transport Corporation.

The minister has also directed authorities to deploy women security guards, an MSRTC release said. He also asked police to increase patrolling at depots and bus stations, adding that depot managers must stay at the facility to keep an eye on happenings.

The MSRTC issued an internal circular asking staffers to wear proper uniforms with nameplate for identification.

CCTV cameras will be made mandatory along with GPS and panic buttons in around 15,000 MSRTC buses, including those hired from private contractors, Mr Sarnaik said.