A manhunt has been launched after a man with a criminal record allegedly raped a 26-year-old woman inside a stationary state transport bus at the busy Swargate bus stand in the city, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Datta Gade, had cases of theft and chain snatching registered against him, said a Swargate police station official.

Swargate is one of the largest bus junctions of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

According to the woman, when she was waiting for a bus for Paithan at one of the platforms around 5.30 am on Tuesday, a man approached her and said the bus had arrived at another platform.

He then took her to an empty bus parked at a deserted spot on the sprawling station premises. It was still dark, and when she boarded the bus, he followed her inside and raped her before fleeing, the woman told police.

Police identified the accused from CCTV footage, and multiple teams have been formed to track him down, the official said.

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