The accused Dattatray Ramdas Gade was absconding since the incident happened on Tuesday, when the rape survivor, a working woman, was waiting for a bus to return home to Phaltan, which is located around 100 km away.
Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Pathan questioned the safety of women in the state despite the government's "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao" campaign and the "Ladli Behna Yojana" scheme.