India, Feb. 28 -- Under mounting pressure, Pune police have intensified their search on Thursday for Dattatray Ramdas Gade, the suspect in the Swargate bus rape case, by deploying drones and a dog squad in Shirur tehsil, a senior officer said.

Gade, the 36-year-old history-sheeter from Gunat village, is accused of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old woman inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Shivshahi bus at Swargate bus station two days ago.

A senior officer from Pune police said that at least 13 teams are working to track down Gade. In coordination with Pune rural police, a large-scale search operation is underway in Gunat village, where he is suspected to be hiding.

"Given the dense sugarcane fields in the are...