A SPECIAL Pune court on Monday sentenced a 65-year-old man to death for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a three-year-old girl in Nasrapur village, a chilling crime that sparked widespread public outrage and protests across Maharashtra. Terming the case “rarest of the rare,” Additional Judge S R Salunkhe rejected the defence’s plea for leniency based on age, noting the accused Bhimrao Kamble’s history of violence, stating his depravity shocked the conscience of the judiciary and society. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the verdict, asserting that such criminals have no right to live in society. Lauding the police and prosecution for investigating the case in record time, he added that the judgement reflects a strong commitment to justice. The court had convicted the accused on June 25, within sixty days of the crime, which took place on May 1. “The offence was committed outrageously and involved inhuman treatment and torture of the victim.

 

The victim was an innocent, helpless child. The murder was committed to satisfy lust, which evidences total depravity. It was a cold-blooded murder without provocation. The crime was committed so brutally that it shocks not only the judicial conscience but even the conscience of society,” Judge Salunkhe observed. The prosecution had sought the death penalty in the case, arguing that Kamble was “beyond reform” and had prior offences involving a 62-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl, and an animal. The defence cited his age and denial of the crime as mitigating factors. The court, however, held that Kamble’s age was an aggravating factor rather than a mitigating one. “The thirst for lust of the accused is not extinguished even at such an age. Rather, it has reached a very dangerous stage,” the judge stated.