A manhunt has been launched to catch the man who allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus on the premises of a bus stand in Pune. 
The police have identified the accused as Datta Gade, a history-sheeter and launched an extensive search for him.
Ruling and opposition parties on Wednesday strongly condemned the incident and targeted chief minister and state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis over &ldquo;increasing&rdquo; rape and molestation cases in the state.
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said in a post on social media platform X: &ldquo;A shocking incident of rape has taken place at Swargate bus station. A 26-year-old woman. was taken to a closed Shivshahi bus and raped in the early hours. What&rsquo;s even more shocking is that the police have not yet found the accused.&rdquo;
He further said: &ldquo;It is a matter of great shame that the Pune police, who recently recovered the plane belonging to the son of former MahaYuti minister and MLA Tanaji Sawant, are still unable to arrest the accused in this incident. How much more will the state&rsquo;s home department continue to fail in terms of women&rsquo;s safety? Will the MSRTC administration take responsibility? What were the employees doing at Swargate bus station while all this was happening? Where is the transport minister?&rdquo;
NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule said the incident was &ldquo;very infuriating&rdquo;.
Sule said, &ldquo;A case of sexual assault on a young woman has come to light in a busy bus stand area like Swargate. Notably, there is a police post near the Swargate bus stand. Moreover, police personnel patrol the bus stand from time to time. Still, the fact that the accused dared to commit such a heinous crime shows that criminals have no fear of the law. Today&rsquo;s incident has raised a serious question of whether there is a safe place for women in this state. Serious crimes are happening here and there every day in Pune.&rdquo;
She said: &ldquo;The Home Department has not been successful in stopping them. This incident is a reflection of how law and order have deteriorated. The accused in this case should be given the strictest punishment. For this, we demand that this case be tried in a fast-track court.&rdquo;
Shiv Sena Spokesman Krishna Hegde said, &ldquo;It is a horrific and disturbing incident. The person, who is allegedly a serial offender, has been identified as a culprit. A manhunt has been launched to arrest him. We are sure the police will nab him soon and justice will be done.&rdquo;
State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that the women in the state are not safe because the Mahayuti government is &ldquo;not serious&rdquo; about women&rsquo;s safety and security.
The incident occurred around 5.30 am on Tuesday when the woman was at the bus stand to board a bus for her hometown in the Satara district.
The accused, moving around the premises of the bus stand, allegedly approached her and misled her to another bus, saying that it was the one for her destination.
The woman believed the accused and boarded the bus, said the police. The accused allegedly followed her and raped her inside the bus before fleeing from the scene. Later the victim boarded another bus to her hometown, called her friend and narrated the incident, the police said.
She later filed the complaint.
Pune Deputy Commissioner of Police Smartana Patil said the accused has been identified as a history-sheeter who was booked in the past by the Pune Rural police. The police have launched a search to nab the accused.
&mdash;IANS 
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The incident occurred in the early hours of Feb 25

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Political parties condemn incident, pull up state admin over rise in rape cases

February 26, 2025 | 18:33 IST