Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said the state government is committed to ensuring the harshest possible punishment in the rape and murder case of a minor girl in Bhor’s Nasrapur, asserting that authorities will pursue the death penalty and expedite the legal process.

Speaking after meeting a delegation of villagers from Nasrapur, Shinde said the government is treating the case with utmost seriousness and will take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is delivered swiftly. The villagers, including members of the local gram panchayat, had approached him with a memorandum demanding capital punishment for the accused, identified as Bhimrao Kamble.