PUNE: A history-sheeter out on bail since 2019 allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the busy Swargate bus station in Pune city, police said on Wednesday.As the shocking incident in the heart of the city caused an uproar and triggered a protest by the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), police formed multiple teams to track down the accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (36).While the opposition targeted the Home Department held by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the crime which took place on early Tuesday morning, the government ordered that all private security guards at the bus station be replaced.A separate departmental inquiry has also been ordered by the transport ministry.Gade has half a dozen cases of theft, robbery and chain-snatching registered against him in Pune and adjoining Ahilyanagar district, said a Swargate police station official, adding he was out on bail since 2019 in one of the offences.Swargate in Pune city is one of the largest bus depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).According to the woman, as she was waiting for a bus for Phaltan in adjoining Satara district at one of the platforms at around 5:45 am, a man approached and engaged her in conversation, calling her `didi’ (sister), and said the bus for Satara had arrived at another platform.He took her to an empty `Shiv Shahi’ AC bus parked elsewhere on the sprawling station premises.As the lights inside the bus were not on, she hesitated to get in at first, but the man convinced her that it was the right vehicle.He then followed her inside and raped her before fleeing, the woman, who works in the private medical field, told police.The accused also threatened the victim and asked her not to reveal about the crime to anyone, according to police.
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