Daijiworld Media Network - Pune
Pune, Jun 29: A special fast-track court in Pune on Monday awarded the death penalty to 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble, a casual worker, for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in Nasrapur village of Bhor taluka.
Special judge SR Salunkhe pronounced the sentence after observing that the nature and motive behind the crime were extremely heinous and fell under the "rarest of rare" category as defined by the Supreme Court.
The incident had triggered widespread outrage, with protests breaking out on May 1, the day of the crime. Following public anger, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a fast-track trial and appointed Ajay Misar as the special public prosecutor.
Police filed the chargesheet within 15 days, naming 82 witnesses in the case. Charges were framed on May 28, following which an in-camera day-to-day trial was conducted. Final arguments concluded on June 21.
The girl had been visiting her grandmother's house in Nasrapur for summer vacation. On May 1, the accused allegedly lured her to a nearby cowshed on the pretext of showing her a newborn calf, where he committed the crime and later concealed her body.
CCTV footage showing Kamble taking the child towards the cowshed became a crucial piece of evidence for the prosecution. Villagers later caught him and handed him over to the police.
The court verdict was delivered within 60 days of the crime.