Pune bus rape accused married, has a son; row erupts after photographs with politicians emerge

A married man and father of a son, Gade was currently out on bail. On Tuesday, he allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman in a government-run Shivshahi bus stationed on the premises of the Swargate bus depot.

In a photograph that has gone viral, accused Gade is seen with a group of men along with MLA Mauli Katke of NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) from Shirur constituency.

The accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade is seen with a group of men along with MLA Mauli Katke. (Express Photo)

Also, Gade’s photograph had appeared on a banner offering birthday wishes to former MLA Ashok Pawar of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) from the same constituency.

Both Katke and Pawar denied having any links with Gade. Katke said that being a people’s representative many people meet and take photographs with him. Katke said the accused should be hanged to death.

Similarly, denying any association with the accused, Pawar said that police should probe for whom the accused was working and details of his visit to Ujjain, where he allegedly took many people at the behest of the local MLA of the ruling party.

Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, also raised questions about the political links of the accused. “I will not name anybody now…. But I have information that the local MLA of the ruling party had taken many people to Ujjain and the accused was responsible for this work. So there is a question whether the accused was working for a political party.”

When asked about the photos of the accused along with those of political leaders, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said during a media interaction, “This crime has nothing to do with the background of the accused. An accused is just an accused in the eyes of the law. We cannot view him as being affiliated to any political or communal group. The accused must be brought to justice and that is the only aim with which the police are working.”

Police sources said that a few years ago Gade, who belongs to a farmer family in Shirur, had purchased a four wheeler on loan. He drove the car ferrying passengers from Pune to Ahmednagar. Police said Gade had allegedly robbed gold ornaments from female passengers by at knifepoint.