Survivor's advocate files court plea seeking restraining order on public, social media

Lawyer Advocate Asim Sarode, representing the woman who was allegedly raped in a parked bus at Swargate depot in Pune city, filed an application before a court on Monday, seeking a restraining order against public and social media statements that could lead to her character assassination.

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: Lawyer Advocate Asim Sarode, representing the woman who was allegedly raped in a parked bus at Swargate depot in Pune city, filed an application before a court on Monday, seeking a restraining order against public and social media statements that could lead to her character assassination.

The case has been transferred to the city crime branch from the Swargate police, while the victim's statement has been recorded in the court. An order regarding the same was issued by Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Monday.

"The false and irrelevant statements are causing serious emotional distress to the victim. Hence it is important in the interest of the victim that such an order may be passed," he said. The court has kept the matter for hearing on Tuesday.

"Some politicians and officers are spreading false news. Character assassination is being done of the victim," he added.

A 26-year-old woman, who works in the health sector, was allegedly raped by a history-sheeter, Dattatray Gade (37), inside a stationary state transport bus at Swargate terminus in the early hours of Tuesday (February 25).

Gade, who faces half a dozen criminal cases, was tracked down in an agriculture field near his native Gunat village under Shirur tehsil with the help of drones and sniffer dogs at around midnight on Thursday, and later placed under arrest. He is in police custody till March 12.

Police also said that they have collected the DNA samples of the accused and have been sent to the forensic as a part of the probe.