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Malegaon court awards death penalty to man for rape and murder of minor
Malegaon additional district and sessions court on Friday sentenced Vijay Khairnar to death by hanging for sexually assaulting and murdering a four-and-a-half-year-old girl in Dongrale village
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Pune A Malegaon additional district and sessions court on Friday sentenced Vijay Khairnar to death by hanging for sexually assaulting and murdering a four-and-a-half-year-old girl in Dongrale village in Nashik district. The court termed it a ‘rarest of rare’ case and directed that ₹10 lakh be paid as compensation to the victim’s family.
The case was heard by a fast-track POCSO court which deals with offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Judge K G Paldewar pronounced the sentence nearly 11 months after the November 16, 2025 incident that sparked widespread outrage after Khairnar, 21 years’ old at the time of committing the crime, was accused of sexually assaulting the girl and strangling her to death.
The prosecution was represented by special public prosecutor (SPP) Ujjwal Nikam, assisted by advocates Sneha Sharma Thakare and Sanjay Sonawane. Whereas advocate Rathi represented the accused.
Nikam said that the brutality of the crime and the circumstances in which the girl was found were central to the prosecution’s plea for maximum punishment. “The crime was macabre and the victim was soaked in blood,” Nikam said. He said that the prosecution examined 24 witnesses during the trial, including police personnel, villagers, members of the victim’s family and medical officers. The prosecution argued that the nature and brutality of the offence did not warrant any concession in punishment, and sought the death penalty for Khairnar.
Khairnar and his lawyer appeared before the court via video conferencing when the verdict was delivered, according to reports. Members of the victim’s family were present in the court premises, along with state minister Dada Bhuse and representatives of social and political organisations. According to reports, the accused has 30 days to approach the high court.
The investigating team of Malegaon taluka police had filed a 425-page chargesheet within 23 days of the incident. During an earlier hearing, the court had framed charges against Khairnar and given him an opportunity to present his response. Reports on his conduct were also submitted by the police, a psychiatrist, and the jailer, as per information related to the proceedings.
