Raigad Police Register POCSO Case After 5-Year-Old Girl Found Raped And Murdered In Forest Near Pen Taluka

Navi Mumbai: Five-year-old girl was found raped and murdered in a forested area near a stream in Raigad's Pen taluka on Monday, hours after she went missing from her home while sleeping beside her parents. Pen police have registered a case of murder and under relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act against a man from the same tribal hamlet.

Victim Identification and Disappearance

The victim, identified as Riya Sagar Waghmare (5), a resident of Patnoli-Kanjoli Adivasiwadi in Pen taluka, was last seen sleeping with her parents, Sagar and Yamuna Waghmare, at around 11 pm on Sunday. At around 3 am on Monday, the family discovered that the child was missing and began searching for her.

At around 10.45 am, Riya's body was found in bushes in a forest near a stream on the outskirts of Patnoli village. Police said the child had sustained head injuries and had allegedly been subjected to sexual assault. Her body was sent for post-mortem examination.

Accused Identified and Charges

Based on the complaint lodged by the girl's father and preliminary investigation, Pen police registered crime against Kiran Bhiku Waghmare, a resident of the same village. He has been booked under Sections 103(1), 65(2), 137(2), 332 and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act. No arrest had been made till the filing of the FIR.

"A case of murder and offences under the POCSO Act has been registered based on the complaint and the available evidence. Multiple teams are working on the investigation, and efforts are underway to apprehend the accused at the earliest," a Pen police officer said.

A forensic team examined the crime scene, and the investigation is being carried out under the supervision of senior officers, including the Raigad Superintendent of Police, Additional Superintendent of Police and the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Pen.

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