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‘No politician should come….’: Pune rape victim's father calls for ‘death penalty’ for accused
The father, who said he was in Delhi to immerse his daughter's remains, requested that no condolence visits be made to his house until justice is served.
The father of the four-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered in Nasrapur in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday made an appeal to political leaders, while seeking justice for his daughter.
The father, who said he was in Dehu to immerse his daughter's remains, requested that no condolence visits be made to his house until justice is served and the accused is given capital punishment. “We are currently in Dehu to immerse my daughter's ashes. During this time, I've been informed by relatives and friends that several politicians have been visiting our home to offer condolences etc,” he said, according to ANI news agency.
“I want to make one humble request on behalf of my family and myself until my daughter receives justice and the accused is awarded the death penalty, no politician should come to our home to meet us,” he added.
Also Read | Rape of 4-year-old sparks massive protests in Pune, highway blocked: Top developments
The incident took place in Bhor tehsil of Pune district on Friday (May 1), when a 65-year-old man lured the four-year-old minor girl with the promise of food. He then took her to a cattle enclosure where he allegedly sexually assaulted her and later killed her by hitting her with a stone, PTI news agency cited the police as saying.
The victim's father further said that the family would be “open to meeting” people, including politicians, only after “justice is served.” “Until then, we request that no visits be made to offer condolences,” he added in the self-made video.
The accused, who lived in the surrounding area in a village in Pune district, has been arrested. The Pune Rural Superintendent of Police, Sandeep Singh Gill, said the accused, who is a labourer, already had two similar cases against him, including a POCSO case.
State govt assures justice, protestors block Mumbai-Bengaluru highway
Even as the incident sparked outrage, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured that the state government will demand capital punishment for the accused.
Fadnavis, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur, said he had spoken to the family of the victim and asserted that the case would be heard through a fast-track court “in record time.”
“I spoke twice to the father of the victim, and I have told him that we will work towards getting capital punishment for the accused. Accordingly, we will fast-track the case and complete it in record time,” he said, according to PTI.
Hundreds of people had blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway in Pune on Saturday, leading to traffic being disrupted for about four hours. Several videos surfaced on social media showing a huge traffic jam on the highway.
The accused was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage taken from a private residence. A case has been registered against the 65-year-old under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and releveant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. He has been remanded in police custody till May 7.
