The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced the suspension of four officials of state-run road transport corporation MSRTC, including a senior manager, for showing negligence in an incident in which a woman was raped at Swargate bus depot premises in Pune city. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik made the announcement in the assembly, which is having its budget session in Mumbai.
In a statement, Sarnaik said after the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a parked Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus at the depot on February 25, a probe had been ordered to ascertain whether there was any negligence on behalf of officials of the corporation.
"On February 25, an incident happened in a bus in the Swargate area of Pune. A woman complained about the injustice in the police station. I immediately asked the officials to give a report in 15 days that if someone is guilty, action should be taken against him immediately. They gave me a 36-page report. Based on that report, today we have suspended 4 people," said Maharashtra Minister Pratap Baburao Sarnaik.
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He told the house that after receiving the probe report on Tuesday, senior depot manager Jayesh Patil, junior depot manager Pallavi Patil, assistant transport inspector Sunil Yele, and assistant transport superintendent Mohini Dhage were suspended for negligence. The minister warned of similar action if passenger safety at MSRTC facilities was compromised. He said 22 security guards who were on duty when the incident occurred were immediately replaced.
Dattatray Gade (37), with past criminal records, has been arrested for raping the woman, who works in the health sector. The Mahayuti government came under severe criticism over the incident which sparked outrage.