PUNE — A special fast-track court in Pune on Monday awarded the death penalty to a 65-year-old casual labourer, Bhimrao Kamble, after convicting him of the brutal kidnapping, rape, and murder of a three-year-old girl. Special Judge S R Salunkhe pronounced the capital punishment just 55 days after the horrific crime occurred in Nasrapur village, classifying the case within the “rarest of rare” category defined by the Supreme Court of India. The court observed that the barbaric nature, gravity, and purely lust-driven motive of the offence left no room for leniency, emphasizing that the convict showed no remorse or potential for reformation.
The tragic incident took place on May 1, when the young girl was visiting her grandmother’s residence during her summer vacation. Kamble lured the toddler away from a local temple under the pretext of buying her snacks and showing her a newborn calf in a nearby cattle shed. According to the prosecution, the child was subjected to a horrific 39-minute ordeal of aggravated sexual assault before being brutally murdered through gagging and blunt force trauma. The convict then attempted to conceal the body under a pile of cow dung inside the cowshed where it was later discovered by frantic family members and villagers.
The discovery of the crime sparked widespread public outrage, leading to massive demonstrations and a complete blockade of the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway. Responding to the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened and ordered a fast-track trial to deliver swift justice. The Pune Rural Police formed a dedicated special investigation team of 15 personnel, meticulously compiling a comprehensive chargesheet within a fortnight.
During the swift trial, Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar examined 54 witnesses, including forensic experts and child witnesses who successfully identified Kamble. The prosecution leveraged an airtight chain of evidence, including definitive DNA profiling, medical reports, and critical footage from six CCTV cameras tracking the exact timeline of the assault. To anchor their demand for capital punishment, the prosecution cited 12 landmark Supreme Court judgements detailing the necessity of the death penalty for heinous crimes against minors.
Although the defence argued against the capital sentence by citing Kamble’s advanced age and lack of direct eyewitnesses, the court rejected the plea for mitigation. The prosecution effectively demonstrated the convict’s history of prior offences involving vulnerable targets, reinforcing that he remained an irredeemable threat to society. Following the formal confirmation of guilt on June 25, the special court concluded the sentencing phase on Monday, ordering that the convict be hanged till death.
