Lagatar24 Desk
Pune: In a shocking turn of events, a Pune court on Friday remanded Dattatray Ramdas Gade—the accused in the Pune bus rape case—to 12-day police custody till March 12. The defence team representing Gade argued in court that the incident occurred “with consent”, with one lawyer controversially stating that the survivor “could have shouted for help”.
Court Remands Accused to Police Custody
• Advocate Sajid Shah, representing Gade, claimed in court that the encounter was consensual.
• Another defence lawyer, Wajid Khan, stated, “She could have shouted and sought help. Nothing was done forcefully.”
• The prosecution countered by stating that Gade is a habitual offender and has a criminal record, though he was never convicted in previous cases.
Police Apprehend Gade from Shirur Taluka
• After being on the run since Tuesday morning, Gade was arrested from his village Gunat in Shirur Taluka around 1:30 AM.
• Officials said he was hiding in a sugarcane field but was eventually tracked down and arrested.
Survivor’s Testimony and Investigation Details
• The 26-year-old survivor, a preoperative counselor at a city hospital, was allegedly raped inside a parked Shivshahi bus at MSRTC Swargate Terminus around 5:30 AM on Tuesday.
• She reported the incident to the police at 9:30 AM, following which she underwent a medical examination.
• The Swargate bus terminus, one of Pune’s busiest transport hubs, is located right opposite the Swargate police station and sees a daily footfall of 60,000 passengers with around 600 bus movements.
• DCP Smartana Patil (Zone II) confirmed that an FIR was registered on Tuesday evening, and a detailed investigation is underway.
Public Outrage Over Defence Claims
The defence’s claims of “consent” and remarks about the survivor’s ability to seek help have sparked widespread outrage. Many activists and legal experts have condemned the arguments, calling them an attempt to undermine the survivor’s testimony.
