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Nasrapur case: Two child eyewitnesses depose against accused
Probe into the rape and murder of minor girl in Nasrapur gathered crucial eyewitness testimony from three minor boys, police informed court on Monday
PUNE: The investigation into the rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur gathered crucial eyewitness testimony from three minor boys who allegedly saw the accused taking the child into a cowshed shortly before the crime; the police informed a court on Monday.
The accused, Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble, 65, a resident of Bhor in Pune district, was arrested in connection with the brutal sexual assault and murder that took place on May 1 that has triggered public outrage across Maharashtra.
According to the investigators, the three boys, aged around 10 and 11 years, were playing near the cowshed at the time of the incident when they saw the accused taking the victim inside the cowshed. The police said that the boys later pelted stones on the tin roof of the cowshed after they became suspicious of the goings-on.
“The accused allegedly reacted angrily and chased the boys away by throwing bricks at them,” a police officer familiar with the probe, said.
The police have so far recorded the statements of 32 witnesses in the case, including the statements of the three child (boy) witnesses. Officials informed the court that the statements of two out of these three child (boy) witnesses have already been recorded before the magistrate through video documentation, making them potentially important prosecution witnesses during trial.
The investigators said that the children provided a detailed physical description of the accused, which corroborates other evidence collected during the probe.
The police traced the child witnesses with the help of CCTV footage collected from the area surrounding the crime scene. According to the investigation, the accused had been moving suspiciously around the location for nearly 45 minutes to an hour before the incident.
The police have now begun analysing CCTV footage from the previous days as well to determine whether the accused had carried out surveillance in the area before committing the crime.
During Tuesday’s hearing before the court of the special judge, the prosecution submitted that additional CCTV footage recovered from the vicinity was still being examined for further leads.
The prosecution also informed the court that injuries were found on the victim’s body and that the post-mortem report indicated that the injuries had been caused using a hard and blunt object.
The investigators further told the court that the CCTV footage showed the accused carrying a packet of shev (snack) in his hand around the time of the incident. During questioning however, the accused allegedly avoided giving direct answers and did not cooperate fully with the investigation.
The special public prosecutor sought an extension of police custody, arguing that the investigators still needed to examine whether any other person had assisted the accused in committing the offence.
“The investigation regarding possible assistance to the accused and examination of newly recovered CCTV footage is still underway. Statements of witnesses are being recorded and custodial interrogation remains necessary,” the prosecution submitted before the court.
The accused was produced before the court through video conferencing after the expiry of his earlier remand period.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the court extended Kamble’s police custody till May 14.
Police officials said that the investigation has now entered its final stage and that substantial work related to the chargesheet has already been completed.
“The chargesheet against the accused is likely to be filed before the court shortly,” an investigating officer said.
The case has triggered public outrage and renewed concerns over crimes against children in rural Maharashtra, with several organisations demanding speedy trial proceedings and strict punishment for the accused.
