3 min readPuneMar 4, 2025 10:50 PM IST
First published on: Mar 4, 2025 at 10:50 PM IST
Advocate Asim Sarode on Tuesday told a court in Pune that the woman in the Swargate bus rape case had become a victim of fake narratives and sought a restraining order against the spread of defamatory content about her. Sarode also told the court that the victim had told him that she felt that she was being made an accused in the case.
The 26-year-old woman, who was raped inside a ‘stationary’ Shivshahi bus operated by the MSRTC at the Swargate depot in Pune, on Monday filed an application before a court, seeking a restraining order against statements made in public and on social media, leading to her character assassination. Sarode had filed the application on behalf of the woman before the court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) T S Gaygole.
Police investigation revealed that the accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (37), had misled her to the wrong bus by gaining her confidence and raped her inside the bus. The court sent Gade to police custody till March 12.
During the arguments held in court over police custody of the accused on February 28, the defence lawyers had submitted that the accused did not rape the victim and that they had a consensual physical relation. Meanwhile, speaking to media persons, the family members of the accused also claimed that it was “a case of consensual relation.”
“Today I presented to the court paper cuttings, news clipping and online content that has been detrimental to her (the woman’s) character. I argued that she is the victim who has set the law in motion by coming forward and reporting the crime to the police, thus it becomes imperative that she is protected in every sense,” Sarode told The Indian Express.
He added, “I submitted to the court that she is also a victim of fake narratives. All the defamatory narratives being spread about her have been proven totally wrong in the police probe. The accused and victim were never in contact and there was no exchange of any kind between them. The victim has told me that she feels like she is being portrayed as an accused in the case. This is very damaging and she has to be protected against this.”
“The court asked me against whom the restraining order be issued. I submitted that we do not want the order against a particular person or group but the public in general. The plea is not against the press covering the case but against the fake narratives and character assassination. I also cited the Supreme Court judgment supporting my argument. We have said that the restraining order can be issued for a period of two months and can be renewed if needed. The court is expected to give a ruling on Wednesday,” said Sarode.
Police investigation revealed that the accused, Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (37), had misled her to the wrong bus by gaining her confidence and raped her inside the bus 
Share
