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Nasrapur rape-murder case: Police recreate crime scene, take accused to site late at night amid security fears
Pune police recreated the crime scene of a minor's alleged rape and murder, gathering crucial evidence against 65-year-old accused Bhimrao Kamble.
Pune: The Pune rural police, investigating the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Nasrapur, recreated the crime scene on Tuesday night by taking the 65-year-old accused to the site where the incident took place. Officials said the collected evidence will play a crucial role in building a strong chargesheet.
The three-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by the accused at Narsapur in Bhor tehsil of Pune district on May 1, sparking massive outrage and protests. The accused, Bhimrao Kamble, 65, was subsequently arrested.
According to officials, Kamble was taken to the crime scene late at night while villagers were asleep. The operation was conducted in secrecy due to fears of a possible mob attack amid intense public anger.
The crime occurred inside the cowshed, which has now become the central focus of the probe. Police teams thoroughly examined the structure, collecting physical and forensic evidence to match the accused’s statements. The reconstruction also helped establish the exact route and sequence of events leading to the crime.
Kamble was made to demonstrate step-by-step how the crime was committed. Police verified where the victim was last seen playing. He showed how he lured the child and took her to an isolated cowshed, where the crime took place. Officials said the process helped cross-check statements and eliminate inconsistencies in the accused’s version.
“A detailed panchnama was conducted during the exercise, and the findings will form a key part of the chargesheet.’’ said an official requesting anonymity.
According to police sources, the accused had been staying inside the cowshed where the crime occurred for nearly four to five days prior to the incident. He had allegedly kept his clothes and personal belongings there while working nearby as a labourer.
According to the police sources, the postmortem findings indicate that the accused allegedly gagged the victim by stuffing socks or cloth in her mouth during the assault. Injury marks were also found on the child’s chest, pointing to severe physical violence.
“As per the initial report, death was due to asphyxia,” a police official said.
The postmortem examination was conducted at Sassoon General Hospital under strict in-camera conditions, and samples of internal organs have been sent for forensic analysis to determine the exact cause of death.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the case.
The accused, a labourer by profession, has a criminal record involving sexual offences. He was previously arrested for molestation cases in 1998 and 2015, though he was acquitted in both.
The family of the accused claimed to have snapped ties with him years ago and called for the most stringent punishment possible. Police said the statements of the accused’s family members will be recorded as part of the investigation.
The incident sparked massive outrage in the Bhor region. Last week, hundreds of villagers gathered outside the local police outpost, demanding justice and staged a blockade on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway.
(With agency inputs)
