Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said  that the man accused of rape in Pune was hiding in a sugarcane farm and was caught with the help of a drone. He assured that a complete investigation is being done to make sure justice is served

“Till day before yesterday, people were raising questions about why he was not arrested. He was hiding in a sugarcane farm. We used a drone to catch him. His situation was such that he tried to die by suicide. I am firm on the point that such incidents shall not happen anywhere. Now, efforts are being made to get the case investigated properly. Let the facts come out after a detailed investigation. Action will be taken against those who are vandalising public property,” Pawar said.

The accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade was absconding since the incident happened on Tuesday, when the rape survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, which is located around 100 km away.

The accused allegedly approached her, falsely claiming that the bus to her destination was parked elsewhere. He led her to a MSRTC Shivsahi bus parked in the depot, where he allegedly raped her.
A Pune court on Friday remanded Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the accused in the Pune bus rape case, to 12 days of police custody till March 12.

Meanwhile, speaking on Maharashtra politics, Pawar commented on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s statement about expanding the Shiv Sena’s influence across the state.

“Everyone has the right to expand their party. Wherever Eknath Shinde goes in the state, he can say that he wants to saffronise the district. In the same way, CM Fadnavis can say he wants to see the BJP’s flag in the whole district. Similarly, I can also say that I want to see NCP’s flag everywhere in the state. But there is nothing special about it. We have decided to be united. It’s the people who decide who gets the mandate. We keep the interest of the state ahead while working,” he added.