Pune: Pune Rural police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in a village in Pune district on Aug 18. Police said they aim to file the chargesheet within 15 days of the crime.
A 25-year-old farm labourer from the same village was arrested soon after the incident. Police allege that he lured the girl away by offering her guavas. The suspect was produced before a court the following day. The court remanded him to 13 days of Pune Rural police custody.
SIT to oversee investigation
The SIT has been formed at the district level. It is headed by the officer in charge of the local police station. The team is working under the supervision of the additional superintendent of police and deputy superintendent of police. Dedicated personnel have also been assigned to assist with the investigation.
Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill is reviewing the probe daily, a police officer said. Police are working to complete the investigation and file the chargesheet within 15 days of the crime.
According to the police investigation, the suspect allegedly took the girl to a location around 1.5 km from the village. The spot is near a sugarcane field and a water stream. Police allege that the suspect sexually assaulted the girl at the location and later strangled her. The incident is believed to have taken place around 2 pm on Aug 18.
The girl was reportedly at home watching television with other children from the neighbourhood when her family members were away. Police allege that the suspect entered the house and convinced her to accompany him by offering her guavas. The victim was around nine-and-a-half years old and studied at a local school.
Similar case in Pune district
Police have registered the case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. These include Section 103 for murder, Section 64 for rape, Section 65(2) for rape of a child below 12 years, Section 137(2) for kidnapping from lawful guardianship and Section 140 for kidnapping for murder.
The suspect has also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The charges include Sections 4, 6, 8 and 12, covering penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual assault and sexual harassment.
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. The court held that the crime fell under the “rarest of the rare” category. The latest case has prompted the Pune Rural police to focus on a quick investigation, with the SIT tasked with completing the probe and preparing the chargesheet at the earliest.
