Pune rape and murder: CM Fadnavis assures fast-track court trial; Opposition raises Shakti Act delay concerns

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who also heads the home department on Saturday said that the Pune 4yearold girls rape and murder case was extremely shameful and deeply painful and promised a fasttrack court trial as the Opposition raised delay in Shakti Act concernsThe Sharad Pawarled Nationalist Congress Party NCP SP leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh criticised the state of delays in implementing the Shakti Act a stringent antisexualcrime law passed by the Maharashtra legislature in 2020 as leaders across political parties in Maharashtra strongly condemned the horrific rape and murder of the girlThey demanded the harshest possible punishment Calls for the death penalty have grown louder along with demands for a fasttrack trial to ensure swift justiceFasttrack trialCM Fadnavis said We will request the High Court to appoint a special public prosecutor Efforts will be made to ensure capital punishment for the accused in the shortest possible time he said while also stating that politicisation of the incident is insensitiveFadnavis also expressed condolences for the deceased childs family and said the government stands with them in this difficult time reported the PTIShakti Act delay concernsNCP SP leader Anil Deshmukh called for a fasttrack trial and immediate death sentence He noted that preliminary information suggests the accused may have assaulted children in the past reported PTIHow do such criminals roam freely in societyDeshmukh called for implementing the Shakti Act which was proposed to fasttrack trials and impose harsher penalties including the death sentence within 15 days for the most brutal offences However it has remained in limbo awaiting Presidential assent after being returned by the CentreWhen there is an urgent need for this law in the state the Centre and the state government are passing the buck to each other instead of implementing it Deshmukh saidHe alleged that crimes against women and girls are rising in Maharashtra and accused the Devendra Fadnavisled government of not being serious about enforcementNCP SP leaders Sule and Pawar visit village call for strict actionNCP SP leaders Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar visited the village of the deceased girl with Sule noting that the area falls under her Baramati Lok Sabha constituency She said she plans to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday to demand strict action against the accused reported PTIHow did this accused get bail in past criminal cases There should be a fasttrack trial in the case said the MP also expressing concern over no chairperson for state womenrsquos commission currentlyA stain on humanity Union Minister Ramdas AthawaleThis grief is truly unbearable and beyond endurance The administration must immediately conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that this beast is swiftly sentenced to death by hanging We will not sit in silence until justice is served for this innocent soul Ramdas Athawale said in a post on XWorst kind of atrocity Shaina NCShiv Sena National Spokesperson Shaina NC questioned the state of society itself What has our society come to A fouryearold girl and a 65yearold man who lured her sexually assaulted her and killed herhellip This is not just Kalyug This is the worst kind of atrocity against a childShe confirmed that charges have been filed under the POCSO Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya SanhitaMaharashtra Minister Yogesh KadamState Minister Yogesh Kadam confirmed an active investigation and pledged that authorities would seek the strictest punishment available under law reported IANSPublic Fury and Highway BlockadeNews of the crime spread rapidly through the village and beyond Hundreds of residents converged on the local police chowki and outraged villagers blocked the PunendashBengaluru Highway demanding immediate and uncompromising justiceDespite confirmation that the suspect is in police custody the communitys anger shows no sign of abating Protesters have made clear they will not disperse until assured of the harshest possible punishment reported the news agenciesVillage in shockA fouryearold girl went missing from her home in Nasrapur village Bhor Taluka Pune district on the afternoon of 1 May 2026 What began as a frantic family search ended in horror when her mutilated body was discovered in a cattle shedPolice say the 65yearold suspect lured the child with the promise of food took her to an enclosure sexually assaulted her and killed her reportedly by crushing her head with a stone CCTV footage from the area captured the man leading the toddler away enabling swift identification and detentionWith PTI and IANS Inputs