29 June,2026 04:33 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
A special court in Pune on Monday sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a three-year-old girl in Nasrapur village of Pune district in May. FILE PIC
The father of the three-year-old victim expressed deep satisfaction with the court verdict in the Nasrapur minor girl rape and murder case, saying it aligned with what the family and the entire community had been demanding since the horrific crime, news agency ANI reported.
"The verdict of the court is very satisfactory and aligns with what we were expecting. The entire community has been calling for the death penalty since the very beginning and this verdict brings great satisfaction," he said.
A special court in Pune on Monday sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of the toddler, a brutal crime that sparked widespread public outrage and protests across Maharashtra. As Additional Judge (Special Judge) SR Salunkhe pronounced the capital punishment, the victim's family broke down in court, news agency PTI reported.
Terming the case as "rarest of the rare", the judge sentenced Kamble, who was present in the witness box. Reading out the operative part of the decision, Judge Salunkhe said the evidence clearly established aggravating circumstances in favour of the prosecution.
"The offences relate to the commission of serious crimes like murder and rape by an accused with a prior record and a substantial history of serious assault," the court observed.
The court had convicted the accused on June 25, within sixty days of the crime that occurred on May 1. Kamble lured the young girl with the promise of snacks and showing her a newborn calf in Nasrapur village, Pune district. He took her to a shed near a cattle barn, subjected her to sexual and unnatural assault, and murdered her by gagging and inflicting chest injuries.
"The offence was committed outrageously and involved inhuman treatment and torture of the victim. The victim was an innocent, helpless child. The murder was committed to satisfy lust, which evidences total depravity. It was a cold-blooded murder without provocation. The crime was committed so brutally that it shocks not only the judicial conscience but even the conscience of society," Judge Salunkhe observed.
The prosecution sought the death penalty, arguing Kamble was "beyond reform" with prior offences involving a 62-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl, and an animal. The defence cited his age and denial of the crime as mitigating factors. However, the court held that his age was an aggravating factor.
"The thirst for lust of the accused is not extinguished even at such an age. Rather, it has reached a very dangerous stage. The injuries noted on the body of the victim reflect the inhuman behaviour of the accused with a child of just three years," the judge stated.
(With ANI and PTI inputs)
