Pune: The Pune Rural Police on Saturday filed a 1,200-page chargesheet against 65-year-old Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble in the rape and murder case of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur that had sparked outrage across Maharashtra.
The chargesheet was submitted before a special court within 14 days of the incident. Police officials said the investigation was completed swiftly with the help of forensic, technical and eyewitness evidence.
The incident took place on May 1 in Nasrapur village in Bhor taluka of Pune district. The child had come to her grandmother’s house for summer vacation when she went missing in the afternoon.
According to the police investigation, CCTV footage showed the accused taking the girl towards a nearby cowshed after allegedly telling her he would show her a newborn calf. Investigators said the accused sexually assaulted the child, attacked her with a stone and later hid her body under cow dung.
The incident led to widespread anger in the state. Villagers and local residents staged protests and blocked the Pune-Bengaluru highway for several hours while demanding strict punishment for the accused.
Police arrested Kamble shortly after the crime. During the probe, officials also found that criminal cases had previously been registered against him.
The chargesheet includes statements from more than 50 witnesses. Statements of three children aged between 10 and 11 years, who reportedly saw the accused taking the girl towards the spot, were also recorded.
The accused has been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to kidnapping, rape and murder, along with provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill said the investigation was conducted carefully to ensure there were no loopholes in the case. He added that the Pune Rural Police would seek a day-to-day hearing in the special court and push for a fast-track trial to ensure speedy justice for the victim and strict punishment for the accused.
