In a landmark verdict that has sent ripples across Maharashtra, the Pune Sessions Court on Monday sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the brutal rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur.
Delivered by Special Judge S. R. Salunke, the historic ruling was finalised just 59 days after the horrific crime occurred
On May 1, marking it as one of the swiftest trials in the state's recent legal history.
The case, which had triggered a wave of public anger and intense political pressure, was conducted on a day-to-day basis in a fast-track court following the state government’s intervention to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
‘Rarest of Rare’ Case
In a packed courtroom, Judge Salunke held that the crime fell squarely within the "rarest of rare" doctrine, heavily emphasising that the extreme brutality of the act outweighed any consideration for the convict's advanced age.
Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar spearheaded the state's case, submitting an airtight argument supported by 12 landmark Supreme Court judgments where capital punishment was upheld in identical circumstances of violence against minors.
The court underscored several critical parameters laid down by the apex court to justify the death penalty:
The murder was categorised as a cold-blooded act committed with a "calm head," where the sheer cruelty inflicted upon the child shocked the collective conscience of society.
The three-and-a-half-year-old girl was entirely helpless and incapable of self-defence.
The prosecution successfully established that the accused was with the victim at the time of the incident, a fact for which Kamble failed to provide any satisfactory explanation.
The court noted that the accused had a serious prior criminal record, cementing the determination that he posed a continuous threat and lacked potential for rehabilitation.
The remarkably swift conclusion of the trial was credited to an aggressive, flawless investigation executed by the SIT under the direct guidance of Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill.
The investigation, led by Senior Police Inspector Vijaymala Pawar, culminated in a comprehensive 1,200-page chargesheet filed within a record 15 days of the crime. The prosecution built its case on a robust chain of evidence, including CCTV footage tracking the accused with the victim, conclusive medical and forensic reports, and testimonies from more than 55 witnesses examined during daily court hearings that began on May 21.
As the death sentence was pronounced, the parents of the victim broke down in tears inside the courtroom.
Speaking to the press outside the court premises, the emotional father of the child expressed his
Gratitude toward the judicial system and law enforcement.
"We are satisfied with what we had expected from the government. I thank the police and the lawyers. It seems that the promise made by the Chief Minister is being fulfilled," he said, adding that citizens must maintain their faith in the rule of law.
Reflecting on the convict's age, the father added, "The age of the accused is such that it is shameful for him to have committed an act like this."
