A Pune sessions court has sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death for the rape and murder of a 3.5-year-old girl in Nasrapur, calling it a “rarest of rare” case.
- Convict: Bhimrao Kamble, 65
- Verdict: Death penalty (“hanged till death”)
- Court: Special POCSO Court, Pune, presided by Special Judge S.R. Salunkhe
- Crime location: Nasrapur, Pune Rural district, Maharashtra
- Date of crime: May 1
- Chargesheet filed: Within 15 days of the incident
- Trial type: Fast-track trial
- Witnesses examined: 55
- Special prosecutor: Ajay Misar
Pune Court Sentences Bhimrao Kamble to Death
A special sessions court in Pune has sentenced 65-year-old Bhimrao Kamble to death by hanging for the rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur. Special Judge S.R. Salunkhe ruled that the crime fell within the “rarest of the rare” category, a legal standard reserved for India’s most severe criminal cases, and ordered that Kamble be “hanged till death.”
The verdict comes a week after a special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court convicted Kamble, concluding that prosecutors had built an unbroken chain of circumstantial and forensic evidence establishing his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Kamble has consistently denied committing the crime.
How the Crime Unfolded
According to the prosecution, the young girl was staying at her grandmother’s house in Nasrapur for her summer vacation when the incident occurred on May 1, sometime between 3 pm and 4 pm. Investigators say Kamble lured the child away by offering her snacks and the chance to see a newborn calf, then took her to a shed near a cattle barn, where he sexually assaulted and killed her.
News of the crime sparked widespread public anger, with residents holding street protests demanding swift justice.
A Fast-Tracked Investigation and Trial
Pune Rural Police moved quickly, filing a chargesheet within just 15 days of the crime. The case was subsequently fast-tracked through the courts. Special Public Prosecutor Ajay Misar led the prosecution, presenting testimony from 55 witnesses — including forensic experts, investigating officers, family members, and child witnesses who identified Kamble during a Test Identification Parade (TIP).
To bolster the case for capital punishment, Misar referenced 12 Supreme Court judgments arguing that the crime met the “rarest of rare” threshold.
The Evidence Presented in Court
The prosecution’s case rested on several pillars of evidence, all of which the court accepted as properly proved:
- CCTV footage tracking the sequence of events
- DNA evidence linking Kamble to the crime
- Medical and autopsy findings, which recorded 18 injuries on the victim’s body
- Potency test results
- Mental fitness assessment of the accused
Prosecutors emphasized the victim’s young age and the prolonged nature of the assault as aggravating factors warranting the harshest punishment under law.
Prior Criminal History Cited
During sentencing arguments, the prosecution also pointed to Kamble’s alleged history of prior offences, including cases involving a 62-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl, and an animal — used to argue against any possibility of reform or rehabilitation.
“The accused showed no signs of repentance or potential for reformation. The only appropriate sentence is death,” the court observed before reserving its final sentencing order for June 29.
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Government and Political Reaction
Following the conviction, Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe thanked the judiciary for delivering a swift trial. She said the state government had treated the case with the utmost seriousness from the start and stressed that brutal crimes against minor girls must attract the maximum punishment available under Indian law.
BY JESSICA SABHARWAL
