A 37-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman at Pune’s Swargate bus depot has been arrested in Maharashtra’s Shirur following an extensive search operation, police confirmed on Friday.

The suspect, identified as Dattatray Ramdas Gade, was found hiding on a farm in Shirur. Pune Police had formed 13 teams to track him down. Late Thursday night, he visited a house for a meal, and the resident immediately tipped off the authorities, leading to his arrest.

The assault took place early Tuesday morning around 5:45 am, while the woman was waiting for a bus to Satara district. Gade allegedly misled her, claiming that her bus had arrived at a different platform. He then lured her to an unoccupied 'Shiv Shahi' AC bus parked nearby. Though she was initially hesitant to board due to the bus's darkness, he convinced her that it was the correct vehicle. Once inside, he followed her and committed the crime, the survivor, who works in the medical field, told the police.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with citizens and political figures demanding swift justice.

Gade, a resident of Gunat village in Pune, has a criminal history, with multiple cases of theft, robbery, and chain-snatching registered against him in Pune and Ahilyanagar districts. He was previously out on bail since 2019 in one of these cases.

As he evaded capture for more than two days, authorities announced a reward of ₹1 lakh for information on his whereabouts and set up a hotline for tips.

On Friday, Pune City and Pune Rural Police intensified their search in Gunat village, deploying drones, dog squads, and over 100 personnel to comb through sugarcane fields and surrounding areas before finally locating him.

Swargate bus depot, where the crime occurred, is one of the busiest terminals operated by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).