₹1L reward for info on Pune rape accused

After committing the crime, the accused returned to Shirur; drones, dog squad deployed to track him

- Nadeem Inamdar and Yogesh Naik

PUNE: The Pune Police on Thursday intensified its search for the accused in connection with the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Pune's Swargate bus stand on Tuesday morning, even as leaders including deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde called for the death penalty over the heinous crime.

Amid frantic efforts to nab the accused, identified as 37-year-old Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the police announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information and issued a poster with his photos.

"A reward of ₹1 lakh will be given to the person providing information about his whereabouts," Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said.

The poster featuring his photograph urged people to provide information at 020-2444769 or 9881670659. Police have assured informants that their identity will be kept confidential.

Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, has been at large for over two days, and 13 police teams have been formed to nab him. He is accused in half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching in Pune and Ahilyanagar district, and was out on bail since 2019.

Pune City and Pune Rural Police also launched a search operation in Gunat village, including in sugarcane fields, with drones and dog squads, officials said. More than 100 cops reached the village, officials said.

Gade reportedly returned home after committing the crime, and police have recovered his clothes and shoes from the house, deputy commissioner of police (zone II) Smartana Patil said. "The accused wore a mask during the crime, making identification difficult. However, through informers and CCTV footage analysis, we confirmed it was Gade," Patil said.