In a swift and landmark decision, a fast-track court in Pune awarded the death penalty to 65-year-old Bhimrao Prabhakar Kamble yesterday for the kidnapping, brutal sexual assault, and murder of a 3-year-old girl in Nasrapur village, Bhor tehsil in a trial on Monday.
The horrific incident on May 1, 2026 had led to high public outcry and protest across Maharashtra. Giving justice within 60 days of the crime, Special Judge S R Salunkhe referred to the case as the “rarest of the rare” and said that the crime’s level of depravity had shocked the collective conscience of society.
The family of the young victim broke down in tears in the courtroom as the judge imposed the capital punishment.
A swift 60-day trial built on ironclad evidence. The swift conviction on June 25 and the subsequent sentencing demonstrate the efficiency of the special fast-track court, which completed the entire trial in under two months.
The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Ajay Misar, built an ironclad case based on:
- CCTV footage following the accused and the victim
- DNA evidence and comprehensive forensic reports
- Corroborating circumstantial evidence
The prosecution proved all the charges against the accused beyond a shadow of a doubt. The court decided that the accused was guilty under all relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and declared him guilty," said Advocate Misar following the verdict.
Total Depravity: How the Crime Unfolded. According to the case details, Kamble lured the innocent three-year-old girl under the false pretext of buying her snacks and showing her a newborn calf in Nasrapur village on May 1.
He then took her to a secluded shed near a cattle barn where he subjected her to horrific sexual and unnatural assault. Kamble brutally killed the toddler by gagging her and inflicting severe chest injuries to cover up his tracks. He then buried her lifeless body under a pile of cow dung in a stable.
In his judgment, Judge Salunkhe noted the spine-chilling nature of the offense:
The offense was outrageous and involved inhuman treatment and torture of the victim. The victim was an innocent, helpless child. The murder was to satisfy lust, which evidences total depravity. It was a cold-blooded murder without provocation.
Court Rejects Age as a Mitigating Factor. The court ruled that there were no mitigating circumstances for the defense to consider at the sentencing. While the defense attempted to bring up the advanced age of the accused, the court firmly rejected it.
The only possibility that could be posed is the age of the accused, 65 years. To me, this cannot be taken as mitigating. Rather, it is aggravating," Judge Salunkhe said, citing Kamble’s past record and serious physical assault.
To support the demand for the maximum possible punishment, the prosecution cited 12 landmark Supreme Court judgments on the necessity of the death penalty in heinous crimes involving minors. The court ultimately concluded the aggravating circumstances outweighed any room for leniency, to deliver the quickest possible legal justice to the grieving family.
