By Mahi Jain
The village of Urse in the Maval taluka of the Pune district is in shock and outrage after the sexual assault and murder of a 5-year-old girl.
The child’s parents, who are daily wage workers, were not at home when she disappeared on Saturday afternoon. Around 11.30 pm, her family reported her missing to the police, and the Pimpri Chinchwad police launched a nighttime search. After checking the CCTV footage, the police detained a 32-year-old man on Sunday. The footage showed the girl with that man before she went missing.
The child’s remains were found the next day near her home in Shirgaon. Authorities said that the child was lured away with chocolate on Saturday. The accused had been living near the home.
He confessed to killing the girl and disposing of her body near the bushes. Following the post-mortem, it was confirmed that the girl had been sexually assaulted.
Charges have been made in relevant sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder and kidnapping, and also under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
This has caused significant shock and outrage in the local community, urging for strict penalties and safety measures. Residents are being made aware of the situation.