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Special court for fast-track trial in Nasrapur minor rape-murder case
The trial will be conducted before district judge 6 and special sessions judge SR Salunkhe under tight security arrangements.
Pune: A special court has been constituted in Pune following directives from the Bombay High Court to conduct a speedy day-to-day trial in the rape and murder case of a minor girl in Nasrapur village of Pune district. Hearings are scheduled to begin on May 21, officials said on Monday.
The trial will be conducted before district judge 6 and special sessions judge SR Salunkhe under tight security arrangements. The prosecution is also expected to move an application seeking a court-monitored inspection of the crime scene at the commencement of the trial.
Special public prosecutor Ajay Misar said the prosecution would seek expeditious completion of the trial and strict punishment for the accused.
“We filed the chargesheet within 14 days and will make every effort to ensure the trial is concluded in the shortest possible time in accordance with law,” he said.
The case pertains to the alleged rape and murder of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Nasrapur village under Rajgad police station limits in Pune rural on May 1. Police registered an FIR at around 2.07 am on May 2 against accused Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble.
The incident triggered widespread outrage in the region and posed a significant law-and-order challenge, officials said, adding that the situation was brought under control through heavy police deployment and close monitoring by Pune rural superintendent of police Sandeep Gill.
Considering the gravity and sensitivity of the case, the Maharashtra government appointed senior advocate Misar as special public prosecutor on the directions of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, officials said.
Misar, currently serving as Nashik district government pleader, has more than three decades of legal experience and has handled several high-profile criminal and terror-related cases, including matters linked to the 2008 Malegaon bombings, the 1993 Bombay bombings, organised crime syndicates and prosecutions under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
He will be assisted by advocates Suresh Gaikwad and Prathamesh Shingne during the trial proceedings.
Officials said a special investigation team (SIT) formed under the supervision of Gill completed the probe within two weeks and submitted a nearly 1,100-page chargesheet before the special court in Pune late on May 16.
According to the prosecution, the chargesheet includes forensic and technical evidence such as CCTV footage, forensic science laboratory reports, medical evidence and witness testimonies, including “last seen together” statements.
