Pune Rural police file chargesheet in rape-murder of nine-year-old

The investigation found that the accused took the girl to a location around 1.5 km from the village, where he allegedly raped and strangled her to death. The incident took place around 2 pm on August 18, when the girl was alone at home and watching television. Police said the accused entered the house and lured her by offering her guavas.

The girl, who was nine-and-a-half years old, was a student at a local school.

The Pune Rural police formed an SIT under the supervision of the Additional Superintendent of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police. The officer in charge of the local police station is leading the team, which has also been provided with dedicated support staff.

The investigation found that the girl had not attended school for a few days before the incident. Around 4 pm on August 18, her family members returned from work and found that she was missing. They searched for her in the area and informed the police around 6 pm.

A team from the local police station joined the search, while police registered a kidnapping case as per the procedure followed when a minor goes missing. During the search, police received information that the girl had been seen with the suspect. The accused was subsequently arrested.

Police have invoked sections 103 (murder), 64 (rape), 65(2) (rape of a victim under 12 years of age), 137(2) (kidnapping from lawful guardianship) and 140 (kidnapping for murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The case comes months after the rape and murder of a three-year-old girl in another village in Pune district. In that case, a special fast-track court sentenced the 65-year-old accused to death, holding that it fell under the “rarest of the rare” category.