NEW DELHI: Pune police have launched a manhunt for a man with a criminal record for raping a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus at the busy Swargate bus stand.
The accused, identified as Datta Gade, has prior cases of theft and chain snatching, an official from Swargate police station said on Wednesday.
According to the woman, she was waiting for a bus to Paithan at one of the platforms around 5.30am on Tuesday when the accused approached her, claiming that her bus had arrived at another platform.
He then led her to an empty bus parked at a deserted spot on the premises. As it was still dark, the woman boarded the bus, after which the accused followed her inside and allegedly raped her before fleeing.
Police identified the suspect using CCTV footage and have formed multiple teams to track him down.
(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)