Pune: The bail plea of Dattatray Gade, arrested for allegedly raping a 26-year-old woman inside a bus at Swargate ST stand, was rejected by the court on Monday. The hearing on the application took place on Thursday, June 26. After hearing the arguments, Additional Sessions Judge A. S. Gandhi denied bail to the accused.

Gade is currently in judicial custody at Yerwada Central Jail. He had filed an application seeking bail. The prosecution, represented by Special Public Prosecutor Adv. Ajay Misar and the victim’s counsel Adv. Shriya Avale, strongly opposed the plea. During arguments, it was stated that the accused committed the sexual assault against the woman’s will and without her consent. The charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency includes strong and serious evidence, such as panchnamas (spot investigations), expert reports, and location tracking, which clearly point to the accused’s involvement in the crime.

Advocate Shriya Avale, appearing for the victim, also submitted that the accused had previously attempted to malign the victim’s image and could repeat such acts if granted bail. Furthermore, no security plan for the victim’s protection was presented before the court, she added, urging the court to deny bail.

On the other hand, the defense argued that the relationship between the accused and the victim was consensual and that no rape had occurred. They also claimed that the accused had no prior cases of sexual assault against women, though he had been previously booked for theft and robbery. However, taking into account the prosecution’s arguments and the evidence on record, the court rejected Gade’s bail application.