A Pune local court on Wednesday, July 2, denied bail to a accused of raping a woman passenger at the Swargate ST bus stand terming him as "habitual offender." The court observed that the accused is "habitual to watching porn" and he can repeat the crime again. "He is a habitual offender. If he is released on bail, he will again commit such type of offence."
The incident took place in February, where a 26-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a parked Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus at the Swargate Bus deport in Pune, according to the victim's complaint.
Posing as a bus conductor of Shivshahi Bus, took her to the parking area at the bus stand and raped her. The incident occurred at around 6 am on February 26, which had triggered widespread protests across Maharashtra. In April, Pune police filed an 893-page chargesheet in the case.
Also Read | Swargate Rape Case: Pune Court Denies Bail to Accused Dattatray Gade.
A history-sheeter Dattatray Ramdas Gade claimed that he sells vegetables and is the sole breadwinner for his family. He alleged the case was false and insisted the sexual encounter was consensual. He said that there were no eyewitnesses and the depot is covered with CCTV cameras and no footage has been presented in the court by the police.
Police said that after committing the heinous crime, the accused, Gade, had gone into hiding in the bushes. He was eventually traced using drone surveillance, a dog squad, and help from local residents. Investigators noted that Gade was seen with the victim and that DNA evidence matched.
Police said that the Gade had six prior cases registered against him since 2009, five of which involved complaints by women. The police argued that Gade is a habitual offender with a pattern of targeting women and that releasing him on bail would risk him absconding or reoffending. The victim also appeared before the court and opposed the bail application, according to the India Today report.