3-year-old raped, murdered: Court extends custody of accused till May 14

The incident had come to light on May 1 after the girl who had left her grandmother’s house to play outside did not return home. Probe revealed that when the girl was playing near a local temple, the accused lured her and took her to a cowshed. He then raped the girl and bludgeoned her to death with a stone, and then dumped her body in cow dung at the spot, the police said. CCTV footage revealed that the accused had taken the girl with him around 3.15 pm. Soon, the girl’s body was found in the cowshed and the accused too was caught.

A Special Investigation Team of the Pune Rural police has been formed for the probe. Meanwhile, senior lawyer Ajay Misar has been appointed as the Special Public Prosecutor in the case. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the trial of the case will be conducted in a fast track court.

Based on the complaint filed by victim girl’s mother an FIR against him has been filed under sections 137 (2), 103, 64, 74, 140 (1), 140 (3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 4, 3, 8, 12 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). After the arrest, the court remanded the accused to police custody till May 7 which was extended till Tuesday. During investigation, the police recreated the crime scene on May 5, by taking the accused to the spot where the offence took place.