A 65-year-old man was convicted by a special POCSO court in Pune, Maharashtra, for raping and killing a 3-year-old girl. Special Judge S R Salunkhe convicted the man named Bhimrao Kamble within two months of committing the crime. The sentencing will take place on 29th June. Special public prosecutor Ajay Misar, appearing for the State, and the victim’s father, requested the court to award the death sentence to the accused. They argued that exemplary punishment was necessary in this case to deter others from committing such a crime.
As per reports, the special court found Kamble guilty of all the charges levelled against him under the provisions of the BNS and the POCSO Act. The trial in the case went on for 55 days from the commission of the crime on 1st May. The incident happened when the victim was visiting her grandmother. Kamble lured the victim away from a temple by promising her snacks and showing a newborn calf.
According to the prosecution, he took the child to a cowshed nearby, sexually assaulted her and killed her before attempting to conceal her body in the shed. The prosecution proved the case against the accused by producing a chain of evidence before the court. The evidence included CCTV footage showing the accused leading the girl away, DNA analysis, forensic science laboratory reports, a post-mortem report, and testimonies from 82 witnesses. The chargesheet, running into 1,100 pages, was filed within 14 days of the crime. Day-to-day camera proceedings were held in the case tried speedily on the directions of the Bombay High Court.
