Adding to a string of incidents where minor girls are sexually assaulted and murdered, another similar incident was reported from Maharashtra’s Pune on Wednesday, where a man aged 25 allegedly raped and murdered a minor girl (9) in a village near the city.
Police said they have arrested the accused, while the incident sent a wave of infuriation among the villagers and the victim’s kin, who blocked the Pune-Nashik highway, demanding death penalty for the accused and a fast-track trial in the case.
Representative image
Girl belonged to labourer’s family
According to police, the victim girl belonged to a farm labourer’s family and was enrolled in Class 4. Police learnt she did not go to the school on Tuesday, as she was feeling unwell.
A preliminary probe by police suggests that the accused found out the girl’s parents were not at home. He then allegedly raped and her strangled her to death.
When the girl was not found at her home, her kin and villagers began searching for her across the area. After hours of efforts which bore no fruit, her kin lodged a missing person complaint with the police.
The cops launched a search operation, during which the accused allegedly himself joined the villagers in the search operation.
Accused held on basis of CCTV footage
The police sifted through the footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the area upon receipt of information about the girl’s disappearance.
During the probe, the cops spotted a suspicious person travelling on a bicycle in one of the CCTV recordings. When the accused, identified as Sahil Khaire, was questioned about the footage, he admitted he was the very person seen riding the bicycle. During sustained interrogation, he allegedly confessed to committing the crime.
A visual from the protest, which erupted post-rape, murder
Girl’s body recovered from beneath a tree
Acting on the disclosure of the accused, the police recovered the girl’s body from beneath a tree near a stream. The cops sent the girl’s body for autopsy, while a forensic team examined the scene to collect evidence.
When the incident came to the cognisance of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, she termed it ‘unfortunate’ and said it had brought immense shame to humanity.
She then dialled the rural Superintendent of Police (SP) of Pine, Sandeep Singh Gill and sought detailed information regarding the investigation.
Thereafter, she directed the police to conduct a fair and transparent probe and ensure the strictest action is taken against the accused.
Deputy CM Pawar added that she would request Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to have the case heard at a fast-track court so that the accused is brought to justice swiftly.
Villagers fume in Pimpalwandi
The incident left the residents of the Pimpalwandi and Junnar region fuming, who demanded strict action against the accused. They too voiced demands for the case to be heard in a fast-track court.
Villagers demanding justice
People staged sit-ins and demanded that the accused be awarded a death penalty at the earliest.