PUNE: A special fast-track court in Pune on Monday awarded the death penalty to Bhimrao Kamble (65), a casual worker, for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a three-year-old girl at Nasrapur village in Bhor taluka on May 1.Special judge SR Salunkhe pronounced the sentence after finding the nature and motive of the crime heinous enough to warrant capital punishment.The court held that the case falls within the “rarest of rare” category as defined by the Supreme Court.The crime had triggered widespread outrage, with protests erupting on May 1 itself. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a fast-track trial in response, appointing Ajay Misar as special public prosecutor. Police filed the chargesheet within 15 days, listing 82 witnesses.Charges were framed on May 28, followed by an in-camera, day-to-day trial, with final arguments concluding on June 21.The girl had come to her grandmother’s home in Nasrapur for summer vacation. On May 1, the accused lured her to a nearby cowshed on the pretext of showing her a newborn calf, where he raped and killed her before concealing the body.CCTV footage showing Kamble leading the child to the cowshed proved central to the prosecution’s case. Villagers apprehended him and handed him to police.The verdict comes within 60 days of the crime.(With inputs from ANI)
