NEW DELHI: Dattatray Gade, the accused in the rape of a 26-year-old woman inside a bus parked at Swargate bus station in Pune, has been arrested. He was caught from Shirur in Pune after a 75-hour chase. Gade hid in a sugarcane field near a canal close to his relatives' house. A reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced for information leading to his arrest.

It was reported that Gade has a criminal background. His criminal history includes extortion, theft, and robbery. There was public anger against the Maharashtra government for not arresting the accused.

She was raped at Swargate bus stand in Pune at around 6 am on Tuesday. The bus stand is just 100 meters away from the police station. The 26-year-old woman had reached the bus stand to go to her village Phalton in Satara.

The accused, who called the woman Didi, misled her and asked her to board the bus that was parked there, saying that the bus service would leave soon. The woman, who was reluctant to board the bus because there were no lights inside, was convinced that the bus was going to Satara. She was told that the lights were turned off because the passengers were sleeping. After the woman boarded the bus, he followed her and raped her.

The woman told her friend about the rape while she was traveling on another bus. On the advice of her friend, the woman filed a complaint with the police.