Outrage erupts after minor girl’s assault, murder in Pune; accused held

Shiv Sena MP Jyoti Waghmare and MLC Chitra Wagh demanded capital punishment for the accused.

NCP leader Rohit Pawar visited the spot and demanded strict action against the accused.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar met the victim’s family, pledged strict action and a fast-track trial.

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh described the incident as extremely outrageous and demanded a death sentence for the accused, criticizing the handling of Shakti Bill discussions.

NCP MP Supriya Sule urged people to maintain restraint while assuring that strict action would be taken.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government would seek capital punishment in the case and push for a fast-track court; he also sought a special public prosecutor.

Sandeep Singh Gill, superintendent of police, Pune Rural, said the accused was arrested within one to one-and-a-half hours.

MLA Shankar Mandekar arrived at the spot to pacify the situation.

A shutdown was observed in Nasrapur with protesters attempting to block the Pune–Satara highway, causing traffic disruptions. Police used mild lathi-charge to disperse crowds and clear the road.

A sessions court in Pune remanded the accused in police custody till May 7.

Rajgad Police Station filed a case under sections 137(2), 103, 64, 74 140(a), 140(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 4, 6, 8, 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

The body was recovered and the 65-year-old labourer from the same village was arrested near the riverbed around 7:30 pm. Police suspected the death followed a sexual assault and that the body was concealed under cow dung to hide evidence.

Around 5:50 pm, the victim went missing. The grandparents and villagers alerted the police. During the search, CCTV footage surfaced showing the accused with the child.

Around 3:00–3:30 pm on Maharashtra Day, the accused allegedly lured the child near her grandparents’ house to a cattle shed, where she was sexually assaulted and killed.

The Maharashtra Legislative Council unanimously passed the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill 2026, part of updates related to the Shakti Bill to protect identities of acid attack victims and ensure jail terms for online sexual overtures.

The accused was released after an acquittal in 2019.

A second prior case against the accused was registered in 2015 (details not specified in the article).

The accused previously had a case registered in 1998 for molestation/POCSO offenses.