Public outrage erupted in Nasrapur village in Bhor taluka after the brutal assault and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl. Protests intensified and even spread to the Pune–Satara highway, causing traffic disruption.
The incident came to light when the child’s grandparents noticed she was missing and began searching for her. They informed locals and filed a complaint at Rajgadh police station.
Villagers later checked CCTV footage, which showed a 65-year-old man entering a cow shed with the girl. Police then recovered the child’s body from the shed, where she was found with fatal injuries and covered with dung.
What does the police suspect
According to Hindustan Times report, an investigating officer of Pune Rural police said: “The man, a labourer, confessed that he had lured the child into the cattle shed on the pretext of showing her a calf, where he sexually assaulted and killed her.” Sandeep Singh Gill, superintendent of police, Pune Rural, told Hindustan Times, “The tragic incident occurred on Friday in Nasrapur, where a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered. The accused was arrested within one-and-a-half hours, and a case has been registered at Rajgad PS. Investigation is on.”
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Police suspect that after the assault, the accused killed the girl by hitting her face with a stone. To hide evidence, he allegedly covered the body with a heap of dung.
Heartbreaking and horrific news from Nasrapur, Pune. A 4-year-old girl was brutally raped and murdered by a 65-year-old man.
— Believer (@PredatorVolk) May 2, 2026
CM Devendra Fadnavis has promised a fast-track trial and will demand the death penalty for the accused, with strict orders issued to Pune Police for a pic.twitter.com/4EoMJzg1BI
What legal actions are taken
Rajgad Police Station has registered a case under sections 137(2), 103, 64, 74, 140(a), and 140(c) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections 4, 6, 8, and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
A sessions court in Pune remanded the accused to police custody till May 7. According to Gill, the accused had previous cases of molestation registered under the POCSO Act in 1998 and 2015, and he was acquitted in 2019.
“He is an elderly man with a similar pattern of behaviour. The victim is from Pune and had come to visit her grandmother to the village on a summer vacation. As the village is sparsely populated, police are investigating how the accused lured the child while she was playing,” said Gill as per Hindustan Times report
Political reactions
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that the state government will demand capital punishment against the 65-year-old accused. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, he said: “The case will be taken up in by a fast-track court.” “This is a condemnable and tragic incident. The accused has been arrested. I would like to request the high court to give us a special public prosecutor; we will demand capital punishment in the court,” said Fadnavis.
As per Hindustan Times report, Fadnavis also highlighted the Shakti Bill passed by the state legislature in 2020 and sent to the Centre for the President’s assent.
The Maharashtra Legislative Council in March 2026 unanimously passed the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill 2026, adding provisions under the Shakti Bill to protect the identities of acid attack victims and impose jail terms for online sexual harassment.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule urged people to “maintain restraint” while assuring that “the strictest action will be taken” in the alleged sexual assault and murder case. She called the incident “inhuman” which “tarnished humanity”.
Deputy chief minister and Pune guardian minister Sunetra Pawar met the family of the deceased minor girl, assuring them of strict action. Describing the incident as “shocking” she said “the government stands firmly with the victim’s family and will ensure justice”.
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As per Hindustan Times report, on Saturday, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal criticised the state government over the incident, calling it a blot on Maharashtra’s image. He said it “exposes a complete breakdown of law and order in the state and also showed that criminals no longer fear the law enforcement machinery”.
The investigation into the Nasrapur village incident in Pune district is still going on, and the accused is in police custody. Multiple charges have been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act. The victim, a three-and-a-half-year-old girl visiting her grandmother during summer vacation, was found dead after being reported missing. CCTV footage and information from locals helped police identify and arrest the accused quickly. The case will now be heard in a fast-track court, and the state government has said it will seek strict punishment, including capital punishment, as the legal process continues..
