Pune police use drones, dogs to look for Swargate bus rape accused
Mumbai, Feb 27 (PTI): Amid mounting pressure, police on Thursday deployed drones and dogs in Shirur taluka of Pune district to trace the accused in the Swargate bus rape case, officials said.
History-sheeter Dattatray Ramdas Gade (37) is accused of raping a 26-year-old woman inside a Shiv Shahi bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) at Swargate bus station in Pune two days ago.
At least 13 teams of the Pune city police are trying to trace Gade, a resident of Gunat village, an official said.
In coordination with the Pune Rural police, a search operation is being conducted in the sugarcane fields at Gunat village as there was suspicion that Gade was hiding there, the official said.
Several senior police officials and more than 100 cops reached Gunat village in the afternoon, he said. Police are using drones for aerial imaging of the field so that Gade can be tracked down, he said.
A dog squad was also called for the search operation in the village, he said.
Pune police have already announced a Rs 1 lakh reward for any credible information that would lead to Gade’s arrest, he said.
Pune Rural police are searching in the Shirur area and will do whatever is required for the operation, the official said.
In Pune City, police have questioned several persons, including Gade’s friends, relatives and acquaintances, the official said.
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Himanta resigns as Assam CM, paving way for formation of new govt
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.
The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.
"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.
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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.
“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.
The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.
